Legal marijuana is taking a bite out of drug cartels' profits • Hacker News Board

Re: Legal marijuana is taking a bite out of drug cartels' profits

#101

Post by DigitalJack » Mon, Mar 07, 2016, 12:31 AM UTC

anon987 wrote: post #11

pcl wrote: post #5

The cartels, of course, are adapting to the new reality. Seizure data appears to indicate that with marijuana profits tumbling, they're switching over to heroin and meth. This is a really interesting development. There's always been this "gateway drug" argument around pot: once people start with marijuana, they'll move onto the harder stuff. I can imagine that there might be a correlation, but I expect that the causa…

Here's to hoping people realize and deal with the real gateway drug: Prescription opiates

Well, I sort of agree. I work with several fibromyalgia groups, and it's a simple fact that pain management in america is abysmal. The regulation of prescription opiates so onerus, it makes it extremely difficult for patients to get, and doctors to prescribe, the medication that would have a massive difference in their quality of life.

It is because of this that they find alternatives/substitutes, which range from alcohol to heroin to suicide. Two people I know have killed themselves because they could not deal with the pain and the medical system failed them.

Re: Legal marijuana is taking a bite out of drug cartels' profits

#102

Post by conceit » Mon, Mar 07, 2016, 12:34 AM UTC

mystikal wrote: post #100

conceit wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's always a question of proportion. It's all in the mix. It's sure carcinogenic and surely beats the lung up in a lot of ways. It also does statistically, by my own observation, lead to a significant lack of all kinds of activities. For example, it frequently leads to a lack of believe in - or even just consideration for - how terrible substance consumption is, over all if not for the sake of nutrition.

Also if you are prone to developing a psychotic disorder (prevalence of psychotic disorders is ~3%), pot consumption before the age of 20 increases the chances of it happening.

Which is probably just a consequence of other complications.

Re: Legal marijuana is taking a bite out of drug cartels' profits

#103

Post by rexfm » Mon, Mar 07, 2016, 12:35 AM UTC

conceit wrote: post #95

gregpilling wrote: post #85

Another reason not mentioned in the article is quality. Domestically produced hydroponically grown marijuana is so much better than the Mexican weed. I live 60 miles from Mexico in Tucson Arizona, we see a lot of it around here. The quality difference is huge - compare your favorite craft brew with Bud Light that has been left in the sun too long. I had a friend give me an ounce of Mexican weed last year. That is a f…

Since when is the sun worse than indoor lighting?

It's more about a controlled growing environment. Outdoors there's a 100% higher chance of pollination, which means seeds and spindly buds. Indoors it's much easier to separate male and female plants, and also much more likely to have consistent watering etc which leads to more lush growth

Re: Legal marijuana is taking a bite out of drug cartels' profits

#104

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Mar 07, 2016, 12:36 AM UTC

conceit wrote: post #95

gregpilling wrote: post #85

Another reason not mentioned in the article is quality. Domestically produced hydroponically grown marijuana is so much better than the Mexican weed. I live 60 miles from Mexico in Tucson Arizona, we see a lot of it around here. The quality difference is huge - compare your favorite craft brew with Bud Light that has been left in the sun too long. I had a friend give me an ounce of Mexican weed last year. That is a f…

Since when is the sun worse than indoor lighting?

[deleted]

Re: Legal marijuana is taking a bite out of drug cartels' profits

#105

Post by tamana » Mon, Mar 07, 2016, 12:37 AM UTC

pliny wrote: post #53

caseysoftware wrote: post #32

> The latest data from the U.S. Border Patrol shows that last year, marijuana seizures along the southwest border tumbled to their lowest level in at least a decade. That does not mean there are less drugs being imported, just that less are being seized. I worked with the Border Patrol years ago and it was astounding how they tracked success: - When arrests increased, they celebrated that enforcement was working. - W…

I get that measuring the effectiveness of enforcement is inherently difficult, but isn't the number of arrests made far away from the border an excellent proxy for how poorly border control is working? You can't isolate yourself from drugs manufactured in-state or from failures of other border patrol units (or successes of drug enforcement away from the border), but you also can't fuck with the stats.

Fucking with stats has always a key aspect of law enforcement.

Re: Legal marijuana is taking a bite out of drug cartels' profits

#106

Post by wildmusings » Mon, Mar 07, 2016, 12:43 AM UTC

jqm wrote: post #35

cygnus_a wrote: post #2

This is one of the main reasons I support legalization and/or decriminalization of all drugs. Demand is demand, and a black market economy is worse than a transparent & regulated economy. I think it's still necessary to focus on reducing demand (through education and self-help, not punishment).

I'm of the opinion people should be able to do what they want. And certainly drugs being illegal causes more problems than it solves. That being said, here is a case to think about. When I was in my early 20's (20 years ago) I got a job in Phoenix AZ working on a concrete crew. We were building poured in place buildings (something like big box store size). First we would pour the floor. Then the walls on top of the f…

Here's how I look at it: it's a trade-off like any other. There are people with unsustainable work practices in every job. It could be long hours, little sleep, performance enhancing drugs, etc. If it makes them deliver better work, they'll get rewarded for it in their career, but they're most certainly suffering consequences elsewhere. Family strain, health problems, emotional drain, loneliness.

The temptation is strong to ban other people from making different trade-offs than us, because it keeps them from besting us in competition and challenging our value systems. But what right do we have to dictate what other people should value and what trade-offs they're allowed to make with their own lives? My sweat, blood, and tears are mine and mine alone to give and withhold.

Re: Legal marijuana is taking a bite out of drug cartels' profits

#107

Post by imgabe » Mon, Mar 07, 2016, 12:51 AM UTC

conceit wrote: post #95

gregpilling wrote: post #85

Another reason not mentioned in the article is quality. Domestically produced hydroponically grown marijuana is so much better than the Mexican weed. I live 60 miles from Mexico in Tucson Arizona, we see a lot of it around here. The quality difference is huge - compare your favorite craft brew with Bud Light that has been left in the sun too long. I had a friend give me an ounce of Mexican weed last year. That is a f…

Since when is the sun worse than indoor lighting?

The sun comes up and goes down on its own schedule. Indoor lights can be turned on and off as needed to change how and when the plants mature.

Re: Legal marijuana is taking a bite out of drug cartels' profits

#108

Post by ams6110 » Mon, Mar 07, 2016, 12:54 AM UTC

gregpilling wrote: post #79

jamesfe wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's interesting, but taken through some lenses, maybe that's still OK? I've never smoked, but I wonder if I'd like my doctor to be high when he operates on me, or for an armorer to reassemble my rifle while high. Does marijuana influence attention to detail? Is there a way to ensure that people don't get high while at work, that they stay sober on the job? Anecdotally, from watching high people while I was in univer…

People can get high with edibles, vape pens, body rubs, many ways. Someone you work with could be getting high right now, and you wouldn't know it - they were quitting smoking and vaping, or they got some chocolates (but won't share). You can't tell, and 50% of the sales at Tucson dispensaries are edibles and concentrates. So you will have to judge on the work, not if they are giggling. You should be more concerned i…

Lots of people who you would think should know better drive under the influence of alcohol. I think part of the reason is that alcohol impairs judgment. Having never smoked weed, I'm curious about whether there is that same effect. Are you more able to tell yourself "I'm high, I shouldn't drive" than you are "I'm drunk, I shouldn't drive"?

Re: Legal marijuana is taking a bite out of drug cartels' profits

#109

Post by wildmusings » Mon, Mar 07, 2016, 1:12 AM UTC

jacobolus wrote: post #27

dominotw wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Demand is demand, and a black market economy is worse than a transparent & regulated economy. would this apply to gun ownership too?

Absolutely, a regulated market would be better than a black market. If every gun and every bullet were marked, all sales (or losses e.g. to theft) required registration with a central registry with the new owner requiring a proper license (including criminal background check, etc.), and distributors/manufacturers/registered owners were held liable for damages in the case of improper use, and with potential for their…

>and distributors/manufacturers/registered owners were held liable for damages in the case of improper use, and with potential for their ownership/distribution license to be revoked, guns would become a lot safer.

My understanding is that this is just an attempt by gun-control activists to effectively ban gun sales to consumers. How can the gun manufacturer be responsible for how the gun is used? Their job is to make the gun to the advertised spec, not keep the peace. You can't sue the knife-maker when you get stabbed. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding what you mean by "liability for damages in the case of improper use"?

Re: Legal marijuana is taking a bite out of drug cartels' profits

#110

Post by jacobolus » Mon, Mar 07, 2016, 1:28 AM UTC

wildmusings wrote: post #109

jacobolus wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely, a regulated market would be better than a black market. If every gun and every bullet were marked, all sales (or losses e.g. to theft) required registration with a central registry with the new owner requiring a proper license (including criminal background check, etc.), and distributors/manufacturers/registered owners were held liable for damages in the case of improper use, and with potential for their…

> and distributors/manufacturers/registered owners were held liable for damages in the case of improper use, and with potential for their ownership/distribution license to be revoked, guns would become a lot safer. My understanding is that this is just an attempt by gun-control activists to effectively ban gun sales to consumers. How can the gun manufacturer be responsible for how the gun is used? Their job is to mak…

If a manufacturer or distributor sells a bunch of guns off-the-books to a criminal gang, and one of those is then used in a murder, the distributor should be liable in some way.

If there were a proper gun registry and if improper gun use resulted in liability for the last documented owner, it would be much more difficult for criminals to hide the guns’ ownership / distribution history, because distributors and owners would have a strong incentive to properly report sales.

In the system we have now, the gun show / flea market / second-hand sales “loophole” is so wide as to basically render gun licensing and tracking requirements entirely useless. cf. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_show_loophole

Think about the way we currently regulate automobiles. Every automobile has a documented ownership history and registration, and every automobile driver needs to pass a set of tests in order to obtain a license.