DEA Confirms what Marijuana Activists have been saying for decades
For decades, cannabis activists have been saying that the best way to get rid of the illegal drug trade is to remove the drugs from the black market. To do this, we would need to legalize drugs. This of course didn’t sit well with politicians who built their careers on drug busts claiming that they are “tough on crime” which should be anonymous to “tough on minorities!”
That’s because most of the “anti-drug legislation” tend to negatively affect minority communities at a greater rate than that of their suburban counterparts. Some might say this is due to the culture of the place, others might point out that in minority neighborhoods – there tend to be more police than in your average cul-de-sac.
To the politicians that made their careers on these “tough on crime” measures – the thought of legalizing all drugs is akin to saying, “Let Satan Eat your Children!” Yes, even the current President of the United States – a man who forged his career on the “Tough on Crime” ethos hasn’t budged at all on his stance on cannabis. This despite so many people in the United States in favor of cannabis legalization.
These drug warriors will cite that if we were to legalize drugs, or in this case cannabis – kids will consume it because we’ll be sending a clear message that “using drugs is okay”. Which is exactly what drug legalization says too – “It’s not an illegal act, it’s okay…it might not be the healthiest thing for you, but at least it’s not “wrong””.
You see, the truth of the matter is that drug legalization is okay, but that doesn’t mean that we’re telling children to consume drugs. If that was the case, then we should make beer and tobacco illegal immediately lest we “influence the children”. I wrote a whole article on “What about the Children” a week or so ago. In that article I showed how legalization actually helps the children, and when expanding legalization to all drugs – I’m sure you’ll even have a higher overall benefit.
But we’re not talking about the children today. On the contrary, today we’re talking about drug cartels and their profit margins. If you’ve been reading my material, I’ve been drumming this tune for quite some time – now, finally the DEA is admitting as much.
The DEA says legalization beats the black market
It doesn’t take an economist to understand that legalization will tank illegal operations. It’s common sense. In order for the cartels to sell you cannabis they have to cultivate it in Mexico (or now on public land in the US), then package and ship it to the US. Once the product arrives, it competes against other cannabis grown locally in the US – often at much higher quality.
Marijuana Moment reported the following;
DEA didn’t exactly come out and say that more Americans are buying marijuana from state-regulated businesses as the legalization movement has continued to expand, but it did say that “Mexican marijuana has largely been supplanted by domestic-produced marijuana,” even if that country “remains the most significant foreign source for marijuana.”
“Marijuana remains illegal under Federal law and is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States,” the agency said. “The national landscape continues to evolve as states enact voter referenda and legislation regarding the possession, use, and cultivation of marijuana and its associated products.”
DEA didn’t explicitly connect the dots between the legalization movement—which has provided adults 21 and older, as well as patients, with a regulated supply of cannabis in numerous states across the country—and the decline of Mexican-produced marijuana entering the U.S. But previous analyses have concluded that there’s a clear connection. - Source
Organizations such as the Cato Institute found state produced cannabis significantly undercuts smuggling due to aforementioned reasons. Logistically it becomes impossible for cartels to compete using their old model.
In fact, some Mexican cannabis farmers (who work for the cartels) claim that the price per kilo has dropped more than 70% since legalization started happening in 2012. This is why cartels are getting desperate and trying to grow on US land, where they can move the product quicker and potentially as pricey as local weed.
The problem with this strategy is that anti-drug operations continue to sweep public lands for these exact occurrences.
The fact of the matter is that legalization places the production and sales into the hands of the public, who then has the legal right to advertise and promote their business. Cartels can’t put up ads or appear on podcasts talking about their latest products.
What if we expand this to all drugs?
If legalization can cut into the profits of drug cartels, who generate billions with illegal sales – wouldn’t it also make sense that legalizing other drugs would cut their profits even more significantly? What happens when all drugs are sold to consenting adults where the entire operation is taxable and the safety of the drugs are ensured.
Some might say, “You can’t possibly be thinking of legalizing crack for adults?” That is EXACTLY what ‘m saying.
The difference is that the drugs, would be tested, taxed, and proper drug education would be given as part of the incentive.
My plan for ALL drug legalization is simple;
1 – Class 1 Drugs = Classic Psychedelics such as LSD; Psilocybin, cannabis, DMT, etc – these should be available for purchase in dispensaries similar to how weed is being sold today. Make sure that people are at least 21-years old and that all of the drugs are properly tested and sold. Most of the people using these drugs do so whether it’s illegal or not – and the vast majority of them are totally unscathed. Very few people die from classic psychedelics and in a danger profile, it’s safer than alcohol. There is no need to make this inaccessible to adults.
2 – Class 2 Drugs = These are your opioids, methamphetamines, and drugs with a high addictive quality and that can be very destructive to the individual. These drugs should be available for FREE to anyone who is addicted and they should have a special place to go consume this. How much can they consume? I would follow the Swiss model and say, “The most an individual can take is anything less than a fatal dose”. This should be overseen by medical professionals who will provide clean needles and paraphernalia for consumption. Once the people have regained enough motor-function to walk out, they should be free to go.
I would even venture so far as to call cannabis a vegetable and simply make it legal irrespective, but that would be pushing it. My drug policies are already too liberal for most liberals.
Nonetheless, implementing this strategy will greatly reduce crime, make drug use safer, control drug consumption much more than currently, increase tax revenue, increase drug awareness…and a myriad of other benefits.
Would there be people abusing drugs still? Of course, except in this model – they would still be providing benefit to the rest of society.
It’s time to end it!
The DEA doesn’t want to admit that legalization can stop the cartels. Even if the cartels pivot and become legal entities, like many major alcohol brands of today pivoted from their Mob ties into legal enterprises – society still benefits from this interaction.
Of course, I don’t want a society that’s stoned 24/7 – I don’t want people being addicted to drugs. But our current approach gives society the least benefits whereas the cartels and the politicians get the most. Perhaps it’s time we do a major overhaul on our drug policies, acknowledge that people use drugs – and move onto real problems like;
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Human Trafficking
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World Hunger/Poverty
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Corporate Pollution
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Warmongering and profiteering
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Etc.
These are the issues that plague this world and the fact that we spend so much time and resources on trying to make people not get high – well, that only adds to the problem – it doesn’t detract.
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