Legalizing Pot will make Mexican Cartels MORE DANGEROUS!!

[Mani]

One of the dumbest propaganda headlines I've ever seen.



Oh No! Look what we've done, we are making pot legal and the mexican drug lords are going to lose revenue so they will need to expand their enterprises into harder drugs, and sex trafficking, and kidnapping. Oh no, legalizing drugs is going to make the world so dangerous!!!!!!!!!!!!


Legalizing Pot Makes Mexican Cartels Even More Dangerous

The growing movement to legalize marijuana is radically altering the way Mexican drug cartels do business, forcing them to seek other revenue streams through increased illegal activity.

Right now, only Washington State and Colorado have decriminalized pot. Taken together, they account for just a small portion of the American marijuana market. But that’s just the start of a trend that’s growing like a weed.

Peter Reuter, a professor at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy and Department of Criminology, said he expects the decriminalization movement to grow rapidly in the coming years.

“I’ve always been quite skeptical that anything would come of these movements” to decriminalize pot, he said. “I think now that in five years half the country will be living in states that have decriminalized marijuana.”

Wider decriminalization would push the price of pot down, taking away a key revenue stream for cartels like Los Zetas and La Familia. It’s pushing them to dive deeper into illegal markets for other drugs. It’s also forcing them to adopt tactics used by militant groups in Africa, upping the ante with the Mexican government and putting them at odds with powerful energy interests.

A 2012 study by the Mexican Institute of Competitiveness says legalization in Colorado will cost cartels $1.425 billion annually, while Washington State’s legalization would cost cartels $1.372 billion. The study also found that legalization in these two states would push the cartels’ annual revenues down 20 to 30 percent, and cut revenue to the Sinaloa cartel by 50 percent. (continued at the link)


http://finance.yahoo.com/news/legalizing-pot-makes-mexican-cartels-182600895.html?bcmt=1389169082884-54c4c5c8-3aa8-4695-b9ed-8d02e1369c68

[DamianTV]

And if the rest of the world were to follow suit?

[Cap]

Silly article and more than just a stretch done without logic. Articles such as this just solidifies the fact that the 'war on drugs statists' are in severe concern mode and just grasping at straws.

[tod evans]

The new brown boogy-man is coming after your children...:eek:


Boogity-boogity!

[Origanalist]

I feel dumber after reading that.

[nobody's_hero]

When booze was legalized all the rum-runners became NASCAR drivers. I do wonder what cartels will do.

[juleswin]

When booze was legalized all the rum-runners became NASCAR drivers. I do wonder what cartels will do.

Play soccer?

But seriously this writer must think his readers are all morons. On one hand, they tell you that buying drugs finances Al Qaeda and we shouldn't do it but somehow there's no worry that buying less drugs will forces Al Qaeda into finding a different and more dangerous revenue source to replace what is lost.

The truth is that selling drugs is easy money for the cartels, its not like they can replicate the success doing anything else cos if they could, they would have done it already.

[pcosmar]

When booze was legalized all the rum-runners became NASCAR drivers. I do wonder what cartels will do.

Which ones?

The ones that started out as Growers and Merchants,, or the Mercenaries and thugs supported by the US?

[torchbearer]

Which ones?

The ones that started out as Growers and Merchants,, or the Mercenaries and thugs supported by the US?

The Duke boys.

[kcchiefs6465]

When booze was legalized all the rum-runners became NASCAR drivers. I do wonder what cartels will do.
Considering there is a state maintained monopoly driving cannabis prices to absurd highs, my guess is they will get into growing high quality cannabis (if they already aren't).

Four thousand dollars a pound is as lucrative as ever. If the government ever truly got out of the way, the violence would drastically drop off. Of course it will never end, and especially on American city streets because these factions have been killing each other for decades. Though community organizers/former gangsters could entertain peace talks and drastically end that violence as well. The government doesn't want to end the violence. They want to maintain it. As a means to maintain their overall worse than worthless positions (they are actually a weight on society that cannot be understated. That is, they impede productivity) and a means to exercise authority. There is an entire industry that is in place because of this failure. Mexican cartels, while surely making extreme amounts of cash, are not competing with this multi-billion dollar government scheme. Marijuana being "legal" is a joke.

[jmdrake]

So following the argument of the author of the article in the OP, people shouldn't teach kids not to use drugs because if all of the kids listen and stop using drugs eventually the Mexican drug gangs will have to come up with some other way to make money and that will make them more dangerous. :rolleyes:

[Kotin]

its funny because its the exact opposite and everyone knows it.

[Acala]

So following the argument of the author of the article in the OP, people shouldn't teach kids not to use drugs because if all of the kids listen and stop using drugs eventually the Mexican drug gangs will have to come up with some other way to make money and that will make them more dangerous. :rolleyes:

Following it even further, the US government should subsidize the cartels.

[gwax23]

Dun Dun Dun

[otherone]

So following the argument of the author of the article in the OP, people shouldn't teach kids not to use drugs because if all of the kids listen and stop using drugs eventually the Mexican drug gangs will have to come up with some other way to make money and that will make them more dangerous. :rolleyes:

I think the author is saying that if we make MORE things illegal here, then the cartels will become REALLY friendly....

[tod evans]

Following it even further, the US government should subsidize the cartels.

Ya' mean like with loads of "assault rifles"? :rolleyes:

[GunnyFreedom]

http://glenbradley.net/images/share/fearmong.jpg

[jmdrake]

I think the author is saying that if we make MORE things illegal here, then the cartels will become REALLY friendly....

Ah. So the government should ban guns so the cartels can make money off of selling guns and not worry so much about selling drugs. Or maybe the government should ban vitamins. Yeah. Let the cartels start smuggling in megadoses of vitamin C. How could I have missed the genius of it all? ;)

[dannno]

Why don't they just make hot dogs illegal so the Mexican cartels can make money off of that instead of hard drugs and sex trafficking? Why do they have to make weed illegal?

[Ender]

Why don't they just make hot dogs illegal so the Mexican cartels can make money off of that instead of hard drugs and sex trafficking? Why do they have to make weed illegal?

They can have all the hot dogs they want. ;)

Weed is illegal because of hemp.

Hemp is the most valuable plant on the planet and gives Big Steel and Cotton a run for their money. Can't have that.

[Acala]

Maybe we can legalize cocaine, heroin, and prostitution too? Wouldn't it be interesting to have a "war" fought entirely by expanding freedom?

[Brian4Liberty]

Wider decriminalization would push the price of pot down, taking away a key revenue stream for cartels like Los Zetas and La Familia. It’s pushing them to dive deeper into illegal markets for other drugs.

Thank God that these murderous gangs aren't getting involved in any of those other lucrative illegal markets. :rolleyes:

[Keith and stuff]

And if the rest of the world were to follow suit?

Then there would be a 1 world government run by the Mexican drug cartels :toady:

[twomp]

If our government really wanted these gangs to be "less dangerous", they would stop selling them guns bought with taxpayer money.

[seraphson]

Don't even need to read the article or even get the full context because of these two things:

Look at the booze industry.
Look at the tabaco industry.

Setting the marijuana industry up in similar manners (minus the bullshit "sin" tax) would leave a relatively safe and healthy market for the product.

[mczerone]

This is one of those articles where you don't even have to read it to get stupider.

The only things to be analyzed are who wrote it, and why. And if they were high.

[Acala]

The comments I read were uniform in calling this article idiotic.

[Contumacious]

Maybe we can legalize cocaine, heroin, and prostitution too? Wouldn't it be interesting to have a "war" fought entirely by expanding freedom?

Those substances ---and prostitution ----are LEGAL.

You meant to say we can DECRIMINALIZE.......

.

[dillo]

They would be more dangerous initially because they would become desparate, which is why we should put the troops in Afghanistan on the Mexican border and actually defend this country

[pcosmar]

"Cartel"

Just when did that term start being used for the Growers and Merchants?

I think it was about the same time as the CIA got involved in the drug trade.. The Cocaine Cowboys changed the whole atmosphere. What used to be friendly free trade,, turned very dangerous.

What started as Growers and merchants,, Land owners,, and poor dirt farmers,,has now become "cartels".

The Los Zetas (and others)were an American creation. They were trained in Georgia. They were suppose to drive out competition and take over the trade.

[GunnyFreedom]

Wait, did this article really just argue that marijuana should be kept on Schedule 1 because it is (relatively) safe?

[Pericles]

Following it even further, the US government should subsidize the cartels.

And supply them with weapons to defend themselves......

[Dr.3D]

And supply them with weapons to defend themselves......

Wait, didn't they already do that with "Fast and Furious?"

[Origanalist]

Wait, didn't they already do that with "Fast and Furious?"

It's all so confusing......

[DamianTV]

Wait, did this article really just argue that marijuana should be kept on Schedule 1 because it is (relatively) safe?

Most dangerous right? And Pot is the ONLY Schedule 1 substance, right? And NO POT OVERDOSES have EVER been reported? And every other drug has had Overdoses reported?

W?

T?

F?

[mrsat_98]

The new brown boogy-man is coming after your children...:eek:


Boogity-boogity!

I rather have a brown boogie man starting $hit 800 miles away from me than a bunch of genocidal maniac's with less integrity just itching to throw flash bang grenades over flowers.

[DamianTV]

Don't worry, Govt will protect you from all those Evil Brown People too. We'll free the shit out of them!

[Mani]

Following it even further, the US government should subsidize the cartels.


Oh, I think you are ON to something. Since the Cartels will become DANGEROUS and start killing and kidnapping and sex trafficking and causing horrible things over the globe...In essence...the CARTELS are TOO BIG TO FAIL!


After we make weed legal, we need to BAIL OUT the cartels!!

[kcchiefs6465]

Seriously speaking, the banks that launder the drug cartel's money, and terrorist organization's money have been deemed too big to prosecute. Eric Holder testified that.

Shit's a joke.

[mrsat_98]

Seriously speaking, the banks that launder the drug cartel's money, and terrorist organization's money have been deemed too big to prosecute. Eric Holder testified that.

Shit's a joke.

Got a link ?

[kcchiefs6465]

Got a link ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3zwhp5-jXA

This was with regards to a hearing on HSBC laundering cartel money and the lack of a DOJ indictment.

[jmdrake]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3zwhp5-jXA

This was with regards to a hearing on HSBC laundering cartel money and the lack of a DOJ indictment.

When Prescott Bush and others financed a Nazi coup to overthrow FDR, they were not prosecuted because the government claimed prosecuting them would hurt the economy by destroying faith in the banking sector.

[Spikender]

I am a Mexican Cartel member, and I can verify the authenticity of this.

Please, do not decriminalize pot, keeping it illegal will stop me from committing more criminal acts.

I promise. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.

[seraphson]

I think it's a good thing to revitalize old threads like this to really see what happens down the road. Low and behold we were right! Check out this article:
https://news.vice.com/article/legal-pot-in-the-us-is-crippling-mexican-cartels

[Grenadine]

This is a pretty weak argument.

[kcchiefs6465]

Most dangerous right? And Pot is the ONLY Schedule 1 substance, right? And NO POT OVERDOSES have EVER been reported? And every other drug has had Overdoses reported?

W?

T?

F?

This is the list of Schedule I drugs as defined by the United States Controlled Substances Act.[1] The following findings are required for drugs to be placed in this schedule:[2]

The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.
The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Schedule_I_drugs_(US)

Marijuana is far from the only Schedule I drug. It's the drugs that it is aligned with as well as it being affirmed repeatedly that it has no medicinal value that makes the entire thing a joke.

Cocaine, methamphetamine, and oxycodone are Schedule II, for starters.

[acptulsa]

Well, in all fairness, a lot of bootleggers branched out into protection and extortion and prostitution and all kinds of things when the end of prohibition came.

On the other hand, I don't know of any of these mafia organizations growing when their top selling item became legal again without swallowing a lot of their former rivals in the process.

[NoOneButPaul]

Yahoo is trash.

[Mani]

From the article previously posted:
https://news.vice.com/article/legal-pot-in-the-us-is-crippling-mexican-cartels

(snip)

VICE News talked to retired federal agent Terry Nelson, a former field level commander who worked to prevent drugs from crossing the southern border


(Wait what...?)

Given the DEA’s relationship with Sinaloa, and the agency’s fury over legalized marijuana, it almost seems like the DEA wants to crush the legal weed market in order to protect the interests of their cartel friends. Almost.




(Money quote of the century:)

“The DEA doesn’t want the drug war to end,” said Nelson, when asked about a possible connection between the agency’s hatred of legal pot and its buddies in Sinaloa. “If it ends, they don’t get their toys and their budgets. Once it ends, they aren’t going to have the kind of influence in foreign government. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but where there’s smoke there’s probably fire.”





(So you have a RETIRED FEDERAL AGENT WHO SPENT HIS YEARS STOPPING DRUGS FROM COMING OVER WHO SAYS, "THE DEA DOES NOT WANT TO END THE DRUG WAR!!!!!!!!!")


(What idiot still thinks Your gov't is keeping you safe from boogedity boogedity drugs!)



(snip)
Former DEA senior intelligence specialist Sean Dunagan told VICE News that, although it’s too early to verify the numbers: “Anything to establish a regulated legal market will necessarily cut into those profits. And it won’t be a viable business for the Mexican cartels — the same way bootleggers disappeared after prohibition fell.”


(A SENIOR DEA SPECIALIST JUST REFERENCE PROHIBITION!?!?!?!?! :eek: :eek: :eek:)


“Why, as a matter of policy, they continue to pursue it is another question. I think it’s ideological. The majority of the agency perceives it as a moral crusade: drugs are bad, and it’s my duty to stop them,” said Dunagan, who now works with Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, a non-profit association of criminal justice professionals that oppose the drug war and favor legalization

(Wow! There are some who have turned and are now on the other side! I never knew a group like this existed. That's one of the brightest things I've heard in a long time.)

That’s pennies compared to what the US spends on the drug war. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, we spend $51 billion per year fighting illegal drugs. A 2010 study by Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron found that not only would the US save tremendous amounts of money were it to end drug prohibition, legalizing could bring in an additional $46.7 billion in yearly tax revenue.

“We’ve spent 1.3 trillion since 1972 on the drug war. What have we gotten for that? Drugs are cheaper and easier to get than ever before,” Nelson told VICE News.


(That's $51 billion a year in toys and budgets and good times playing cops and robbers and being heroes.....Yet it's all a fucking game. And these former agents who played a part in it are realizing it's a load of BS.)