Understanding the usage of ならまだしも


[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/t1WAB.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/t1WAB.png)

アメリカならまだしも失踪した未成年に大麻の検査まではしないだろう

Upon some googling, the grammar seems to used for something akin to

Pattern 1) Noun[A] + ならまだしも + [B] [A] is the preferred option over [B].

However I'm struggling to see how it's being used in this sentence. The
general meaning is that, going by top panel is that girl sneaked into the
house were the criminals were, so they drugged her and dumped here somewhere
else to settle the situation.

The dialog after says that it's lucky she didn't get killed.

アメリカならまだしも失踪した未成年に大麻の検査まではしないだろう

My literal reading of the dialog would be something like

"It would be better if it was America over not testing as missing girl for
drugs" which I don't think makes much sense. From the previous pages context,
I'm fairly sure they mentioned she got tested for alcohol. Going from context
the only think that comes to mind is something akin to "It would be better if
it was America. (here in japan) they don't test for drugs on missing people."

To sum it up, what is the exact structure of this sentence:

> アメリカならまだしも失踪した未成年に大麻の検査まではしないだろう




The A なら まだしも B pattern has another use:

A is conceivable/possible/understandable, but B is
inconceivable/impossible/incomprehensible.

In this case, the speaker is saying that testing a missing minor for drugs is
something that might be done in the US, but would never be done in Japan.

Based on the rest of the panel, I suspect the speaker is actually describing
his hypothesis of the reasoning of the criminals for dumping the girl without
killing her rather than giving his own opinion, and that she was, in fact,
tested and found to have marijuana in her system.

I hope that gives you enough to go on to rethink your translation.

