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Colorado pot shops likely targets of cartels, say experts
FOX News ^ | jANUARY 10, 2014 | By Joseph J. Kolb

Posted on 01/11/2014 12:49:10 PM PST by Brad from Tennessee

As the smoke settles from the first week of legal marijuana sales in Colorado, experts are warning that sanctioned pot dealers could become targets for the very folks they put out of business.

Taking over a trade once ruled by drug cartels and turning it into an all-cash business could make pot shops prime targets for extortion, black-market competition and robbery. One veteran border narcotics agent told FoxNews.com Colorado's legal pot industry will find it hard to keep the criminals from horning in on a lucrative business they once controlled.

"Mexico is already in Colorado without the risks," the agent, who requested anonymity, said of the state's heavy pre-existing cartel presence. "Legal businesses will likely see a rise in extortion attempts while law enforcement will see a lot of backdoor deals being made."

Cartels, especially the Juarez and Sinaloa, who have a strong presence in Colorado, could not have been happy with the estimated $1 million in sales Jan. 1, the first day of legalized retail sales. In 2012 the Mexican Competitiveness Institute issued a report saying that Mexico’s cartels would lose as much as $1.425 billion if Colorado legalized marijuana. The organization also predicted that drug trafficking revenues would fall 20 to 30 percent, and the Sinaloa cartel, which would be the most affected, would lose up to 50 percent. . .

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Mexico; US: Colorado
KEYWORDS: marijuana; potheads
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To: xone

Who is selling pot at $400 per pound? Where did you read that? The Mexicans are not selling their pot at $400 a pound.


101 posted on 01/12/2014 7:03:08 PM PST by CodeToad (When ignorance rules a person's decision they are resorting to superstition.)
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To: CodeToad
Wholesale is 400.

Where did you read that?

Didn't read it, got it from the Mexis that were busted.

102 posted on 01/12/2014 8:22:29 PM PST by xone
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To: Brad from Tennessee
When regular pot users get used to paying $400 an ounce for their weed and the local criminals start selling it for half that which they probably can do both enterprises will thrive unfortunately.

I believe weed is a gateway drug and does lead to bigger and badder,it also creates a lot of lazy laid back bums,we have our share down here.

All in all its bad for the country,IMHO.

Legalizing pot is akin to giving a billion bucks to Iran all over again. Its something the regime can do out in the open that will incrementally take the nation down,this is what they are all about and we are doing dam little to stop it.

103 posted on 01/13/2014 6:12:19 AM PST by rodguy911 (FreeRepublic:Land of the Free because of the Brave--Sarah Palin our secret weapon)
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To: rodguy911

Local growers start cutting into gangster business.
Gangsters attack local growers.
Gangsters win.


104 posted on 01/13/2014 6:19:55 AM PST by AppyPappy (Obama: What did I not know and when did I not know it?)
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To: AppyPappy

That’s very likely since the govt. is tied to the gangstas. But I stil see weed wars on the horizon. There’s just too much money floating around there.People hate paying huge taxes as they will be paying on weed. It will be tempting to buy the illegal stuff and libs will love it with a sort of cheech and chong mentality.
Its a typical axelrod con.
If peopel buy weed legally the corrupt governments benefit fromhuge taxation. If they buy weed through illegal sources the corrupt govt. benefits. Its obamcare all over again they can’t lose.


105 posted on 01/13/2014 6:32:40 AM PST by rodguy911 (FreeRepublic:Land of the Free because of the Brave--Sarah Palin our secret weapon)
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To: Brad from Tennessee

Sounds like a great series can come of this!


106 posted on 01/13/2014 6:36:02 AM PST by angcat
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To: rodguy911

Taxes won’t be the only issue. Trial lawyers will go after Big Marijuana like they went after Big Tobacco.
We’ll still be jailing people for buying and selling marijuana without paying taxes on it.


107 posted on 01/13/2014 6:54:32 AM PST by AppyPappy (Obama: What did I not know and when did I not know it?)
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To: rodguy911

Same exact things were said of legalizing alcohol. Are you then for criminalizing booze too?


108 posted on 01/13/2014 7:44:25 AM PST by CodeToad (When ignorance rules a person's decision they are resorting to superstition.)
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To: AppyPappy

The majority of pot retailers are their own growers. The idea that ‘gangsters’ will intrude is about as likely as that happening in any other business including booze.


109 posted on 01/13/2014 7:47:02 AM PST by CodeToad (When ignorance rules a person's decision they are resorting to superstition.)
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To: CodeToad

Except booze is expensive to make, income is very small and risks are really great.
If moonshine’s price was $200-400 a bottle, we’d have a really big problem with it.


110 posted on 01/13/2014 8:15:24 AM PST by AppyPappy (Obama: What did I not know and when did I not know it?)
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To: AppyPappy

If you mean big ‘legal” marijuana as long as they are paying out mega bucks intaxes locally statewide and federally they will have a bit of insulation.


111 posted on 01/13/2014 8:57:33 AM PST by rodguy911 (FreeRepublic:Land of the Free because of the Brave--Sarah Palin our secret weapon)
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To: CodeToad

Not at all.
When you drive drunk the cops pull you over and give you a test that has acceptance by most people. They can measure abuse. Harder to do with weed.
Also there are those that suggest weed can be a gateway drug and there are lots of examples to suport that thinking.
Its hard to compare weed to booze.Different animals.


112 posted on 01/13/2014 9:00:46 AM PST by rodguy911 (FreeRepublic:Land of the Free because of the Brave--Sarah Palin our secret weapon)
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To: rodguy911

Like tobacco? Once again, much less profit.
Plus cigarettes are a big black market item, even at a tinier profit. Marijuana would have to drop to $50 an oz to take away the incentive. When it was $30 an oz, there weren’t many problems.


113 posted on 01/13/2014 10:14:42 AM PST by AppyPappy (Obama: What did I not know and when did I not know it?)
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To: Brad from Tennessee

Taking over a trade once ruled by drug cartels and turning it into an all-cash business could make pot shops prime targets for extortion, black-market competition and robbery. One veteran border narcotics agent told FoxNews.com Colorado’s legal pot industry will find it hard to keep the criminals from horning in on a lucrative business they once controlled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No Obama, Sherlock.

I’ve long said that legal marijuana will only add to our problems. There used to be a pro-dope troll (Just say no to Nannies) who would argue for days and days that pot should be legal.

I would ask him if he thought a trillion dollar industry (illegal cartels) would simply go away if drugs were legalized. Naturally he would not answer.


114 posted on 01/13/2014 11:06:05 AM PST by Responsibility2nd (NO LIBS. This Means Liberals and (L)libertarians! Same Thing. NO LIBS!!)
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To: Ken H

So you think the criminal drug dealers are going to stand for legal pot that without a fight? That is the loss of an entire state’s revenue for them.


115 posted on 01/13/2014 5:34:06 PM PST by Dutch Boy
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To: Dutch Boy
The medical marijuana industry has been raking in $1B/year for a number of years in CA alone.

What are the cartels waiting for?

116 posted on 01/13/2014 6:02:59 PM PST by Ken H (What happens on the internet, stays on the internet.)
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To: Ken H

They are there aren’t they? Still making money. When an entire state hits the cartel’s bottom line then they will react. It might not be right away but when they lose billions, it’s not going to set well with them.


117 posted on 01/14/2014 2:20:21 PM PST by Dutch Boy
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To: Dutch Boy
Any day now!

They're losing a billion a year in CA, $200M/yr in CO and similar amounts (proportionally) in the 20 states and DC that have legalized it. The cartels have done virtually zip about it.

If you're wishing for the cartels to shut down the program - and you certainly seem to be - you're going to be disappointed. Voters in CO and WA (with more to follow) told drug warriors to get stuffed. Deal with it.

118 posted on 01/14/2014 5:15:15 PM PST by Ken H (What happens on the internet, stays on the internet.)
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To: Ken H

Call me an agnostic on this topic as far as Colorado is concerned. I am just stating from local experience, drug organizations don’t like it when they lose money. They also aren’t likely to just sit around. They will either figure out how to play in the marketplace or crush it. The odds of them just giving up and going away is highly unlikely.


119 posted on 01/14/2014 5:41:28 PM PST by Dutch Boy
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To: Dutch Boy

You’re going to be disappointed.


120 posted on 01/14/2014 6:29:01 PM PST by Ken H (What happens on the internet, stays on the internet.)
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