It really is a big issue. I'd say the biggest one, everywhere you go. Getting rid of drug-related crime and violence would double Mexico's GDP in a few years.
Source: Mexican.
Source: Mexican.
In fact, Mexico could be growing even faster if organized crime is brought under control.
The fundamentals in Mexico are fairly strong (relatively high median household income, access to the largest market globally, decent enough social indicators) and good governance can carry it forward dramatically.
That said, we in the US could help much further by actually sanctioning Cartel organizations en masse, instead of doing it haphazardly as we are today. Similar economic warfare forced the Italian and Japanese governments to drastically crack down on organized crime in the 90s and 2010s respectively.
Cartel violence is present even is large urban centers, ask anybody who runs a moderately successful business.