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

washingtonpost.com

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

#91

Post by noobermin »

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…

Not to nitpick, but right in the article:

>And it's not just price — Mexican growers are facing pressure on quality, too. "The quality of marijuana produced in Mexico and the Caribbean is thought to be inferior to the marijuana produced domestically in the United States or in Canada," the DEA wrote last year in its 2015 National Drug Threat Assessment.

They perhaps didn't elaborate on it (from a good and interesting perspective) as you have, but it was mentioned.

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

#92

Post by Mz »

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…

Have an upvote, but I don't think the solution to resolving the kind of problem you describe is criminalization of substances. In fact, I think the crazy controlling environment you describe fits hand in glove with criminalization. They both essentially grow out of a mindset that one person has some inherent right to control another in highly invasive, fundamental ways. A "live and let live" attitude would create laws and effective means to protect employees from abusive employers of the type you describe while not caring what drugs you choose to take, so long as you can behave. "Your right to swing your fist stops where my face begins" and all that.

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

#93

Post by mapt »

jp555 wrote: post #54
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…

And if she's been working 19 hours without sleep before your surgery? How would you know? How about an eye surgeon that just had 3 big coffees? I think the fact that you haven't smoked makes your perception of cannabis' effects wildly out of step with reality. I wouldn't trust any of the sober university students I knew performing surgery on me.

You introduce working 19 hours without sleep before surgery as a hyperbolic excess that should get one fired.

In fact, it appears to be routine and required of medical residents in the US. Which is ridiculous.

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

#94

Post by conceit »

LAMike wrote: post #10

Wow what a Black Swan event. Take something illegal and taxing it heavily has a negative impact on the black market's profit and a positive impact on the economy. Truly disrupting the space.

I'm sure the black market profit doesn't even notice. However, many operations are still considered at least gray market as the feds take down plantations.

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

#95

Post by conceit »

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?

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

#96

Post by koenigdavidmj »

random_upvoter wrote: post #39
notthegov wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cannabis being illegal actually influences people to use prescription drugs and meth. If someone has a job that drug tests them or are on probation, then people will choose harder drugs (or alcohol). The only drug aside from PCP that stays in your system over 3 days is cannabis.

Interestingly, in Colorado it's legal for a company to fire an employee who has (legally) smoked marijuana. So even with legalization drug tests may remain a thing.

There isn't any protection for consumption of other legal substances either (except when they are prescribed for a health condition); cannabis isn't an exception. Alaska Airlines, for instance, prohibits their employees from using tobacco products even on their own time, and tests to that effect.

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

#97

Post by conceit »

seizethecheese wrote: post #88
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…

Thank you. I hardly ever see comments about the benefits of legalization to casual weed smokers. Maybe we haven't shed the stigma yet, but this isn't just bad for drug lords and for-profit prisons, this is good for millions of consumers!

The biggest commercial operations are run by passionless businesses. The hydro homegrow on the other hand hardly qualifies as casual.

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

#98

Post by koenigdavidmj »

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…

> or huge numbers of untraceable guns getting smuggled across the border into the hands of Mexican drug cartels.

Your own government is the worst offender of this in recent memory.

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

#99

Post by eli »

random_upvoter wrote: post #39
notthegov wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cannabis being illegal actually influences people to use prescription drugs and meth. If someone has a job that drug tests them or are on probation, then people will choose harder drugs (or alcohol). The only drug aside from PCP that stays in your system over 3 days is cannabis.

Interestingly, in Colorado it's legal for a company to fire an employee who has (legally) smoked marijuana. So even with legalization drug tests may remain a thing.

Keep in mind that the default is that anyone can be fired for any reason. A company is free to fire an employee who has legally smoked cigarettes too (if they wish).

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

#100

Post by mystikal »

conceit wrote: post #90
doyoulikeworms wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pot isn't a terrible substance. Especially not when compared to alcohol.

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.
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