by Jack Lee
Prop 19 promises to legalize the recreational use of marijuana and voters say yes 49% to 42% according to the latest Field Poll.
If California is the only state in the world to legalize marijuana we’ll become a safe haven for drug exporters.
Imagine if Afghanistan legalized growing opium poppy’s or Columbia legalized cocaine. We would have a flood of product into the USA and a whole lot more problems in the world.
We already have a deadly serious Mexican drug cartel problem in California today with illegal grow sites in rural Northern California, just wait until we legalize pot. There is a 99% probability that those same cash rich cartels will buy large farms here for legal grow operations for export to the other 49 states where the demand and price are still very high.
This new legal money crop would be an irresistable incentive for them to send thousands of their cartel members north and organize farms. They’ve already compromised our national forest lands, but that will be small compared to the next wave if we legalize grow operations. And following this logic its not inconceivable competing pot farm operations would also be at great risk by cartels who don’t like competition. You see what the drug trade has done for Mexico and they are moving North.
More complications: It won’t stop with legal marijuana grows, that will just be the begining of export operations – it’s always been that way in the past, yet some people think history won’t repeat itself. Really good chance that we’ll be exporting more than pot, like cocaine, heroin, crank, whatever sells, we’ll be in the perfect tactical position to export it from California and to supply our own users too. Cartels have no reservations about this and we’ve provided them a great start for developing new routes to others states.
Reality check: If Prop 19 passes the huge criminal problems that will follow will force the federal government to step in and shut it down.
If we legalized drugs in the US and then treat abusers as a medical problem that’s a whole other ballgame with good and bad elements. For one state to unilaterally declare a popular drug legal is blatantly unwise, but as reflected in the latest poll on Prop 19, California voters do not have a reputation for voting smart. We’re the most overspent, dumbed down state in the union – the perfect place for this proposition to win big.
If that passes, the Fed’s should cut off all funds to California.
If California legalizes marijuana, Mexico will follow suit, and the narco trafficers will lose the business.
Now, if the come here and buy farms, are they not just agri-businessmen?
Your reasoning would hold up if the US were to legalize pot not just California.
Jack, I hadn’t heard one solid argument against Prop. 19 until I read this one. I think you’ve persuaded me to change my mind on this issue, which may be a first. I will have to do a little more reading and see if others agree with your hypothesis to be sure, but it seems quite sound to me. 🙂
“Your reasoning would hold up if the US were to legalize pot not just California.”
I think I agree with Toby…I may have to go drink something.
I don’t think prop 19 allows unlimited grow farms. Besides, the day that happens you can bet that RJ Reynolds and Phillip Morris will be on top of it.
LOL Chris, I will drink to that!
Chris,
Which argument made you change your mind?
I see Jack’s comments as hysteria.
Mark
Marijuana is not dangerous until government makes it so.
Many would argue the federal prohibition is unconstitutional.
The passage of prop 19 would get the issue before the Court to rule on it at least.
Mark, you may well have a more informed opinion on on substance abuse and on marijuana in particular, but before you call my comments hysteria consider the following:
My opinion comes from working as a narcotics officer. What I saw up close and personal they can’t teach in the classroom.
Marijuana is harmless narcotic, or so we’re told. A harmless narcotic…those two words don’t go together very well. Kinda like military intelligence.
I’ll try not to be too preachy, but I’ve seen things involving marijuana that would make you want to vomit. See, in the dopers world, in the criminal world, in the lowlife’s world so many bad things overlap and it’s hard to keep marijuana use into a nice tidy little habit that really doesn’t hurt anyone….that doesn’t alter brain wiring, doesn’t have residual mental effects from THC stored in fat cells within the brain for months, that doesn’t leave behind really nasty, coarse carcinogens in your throat and lungs, that doesn’t affect mental development of the unborn, that does not cost time lost from work, that doesn’t lower motivation and so on…in their world it does that and more. Heck, these morons give it to their little kids so they will mellow out..I’ve seen it used on two year olds and there’s a lot more I could tell you how it gets abused. But, I’m sure you know there are always going to be dumb people doing dumb things…they will get high on pot, use it with alcohol or other substances and do really dangerous and stupid Darwin kind of things…that get them killed. Sure, it’s a personal choice thing and if that was all it was I would say go for it, but that personal choice often times invades the space of other people and thats where I used to come in…cops rolling Code Three to the rescue. So like I said Mark you might be more qualified to express an opinion on this subject than I, but I know in a personal way and those memories I wouldn’t wish on anyone and my comments were not based on hysteria.
Thanks Chris, this time I am speaking from personal experience so maybe thats why its more convincing.
Jack: “we’ll become a safe haven for drug exporters.”
Aren’t California ports subject to national/international laws and wouldn’t the commerce clause also come into play?
If so any attempts to export the product will continue to be a criminal activity placing extra burdens on law enforcement at our ports.
I agree with you about the attendant problems that will follow if this law passes.
Mark, I just don’t think it’s that far out to say that legalizing pot in California, but not in other states, will increase illegal drug trafficking across state lines. Yes, one could argue that this would pave the way for other states to legalize marijuana, but that could take a long time, and while we’re waiting crime could go way up. My main reason for supporting the legalization of marijuana has always been that I’ve thought it would reduce crime, but as others have pointed out that would probably only be true if it were to be legalized nation-wide. I hadn’t thought of how the situation would be different if pot were only legalized in one state. But I am still open-minded on the issue and if you have a counter-argument I’d definitely be interested to hear what you have to say.
Tina, we are really not in a position to check cargo leaving, we can barely check 10% of what is arriving in sea ports. Our docks are pretty much wide open to any sort of smuggling and always have been. We have to have to take the time to randomly inspect containers and we just can’t handle all the traffic, it only gets spot checked at best.
For exports…we pretty much leave it up to the receiving port to do the checking.
We would have to double our Customs officers and DEA inspectors to even begin doing something about exports. But, my main concern is once established in California the drug pushers are free to move drugs to other states.
Chris,
Selling marijuana across state lines will remain illegal. Growing pot on national forest land will remain illegal. Since one of the arguments in favor of the law is the taxes it will generate, selling pot without a license will clearly become illegal as well.
BTW, I am voting No on 19. I like things the way they are. If the law passes, corporations will step in. Monsanto just gave Yes on 19 a million bucks.
I feel for Jack. My brother in law is a cop. Cops see people at their worst, and it colors their view of the world. College professors tend to see people at their best, which is a color as well. The clear truth is somewhere in the middle.
“Chris,
Selling marijuana across state lines will remain illegal. Growing pot on national forest land will remain illegal. Since one of the arguments in favor of the law is the taxes it will generate, selling pot without a license will clearly become illegal as well.”
That’s kind of the point. Because this kind of thing will remain illegal, it will attract a criminal element that will be willing to sell across state lines, unregulated and by their own rules. Yes, this already happens, but legalizing marijuana would make it more accessible to said criminals, and thus easier to trade across state lines. Right?
Right.
What about the violence within our neighborhoods?
I am skeptical of calls from law enforcement that changes in domestic policy will result in more crime, just as I am skeptical of call from generals that say changes in foreign policy will mean more wars.
I am willing, however, to give Jack more slack than most.
Mark, you have every right to be skeptical and we should all be skeptical of our leaders and seek evidence to back up their claims. Leaders in the areas of law enforcement and the military engage in a lot of feather bedding, but when the humble rank and file tell you a particular policy is hurting their performance you might want to take more interest. Chances are if its hurting them it will hurt you…eventually. I’m sounding a warning about crime that will be connected to marijuana production in California because I know how this underbelly of society works and there is a huge risk if we legalize marijuana unilaterally.
there will be no “farms” only up to 25 square feet of grow. maybe if you have looked at what prop 19 will do you’ll see that you’re losing your mind. toke up a fat joint and relax.
Trevor, lets imagine for a moment that actually happened. What it means is marijuana is basically legal with a few petty rules. Do you really think that police are going to have any interest in enforcing a 25 sq. foot grow site? And in the absence of that enforcement what inclination will “for profit – for export” growers have to abide by your stupid and unenforceable Prop 19 rules? Trevor, no offense, but are under 12? Because you sound like someone who doesn’t have a lot of life experience.