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Legal marijuana is finally doing what the drug war couldn’t
Washington Post ^ | March 03, 2016 | Christopher Ingraham

Posted on 03/05/2016 9:11:55 PM PST by Ken H

Legal marijuana may be doing at least one thing that a decades-long drug war couldn't: taking a bite out of Mexican drug cartels' profits.

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. Agents snagged roughly 1.5 million pounds of marijuana at the border, down from a peak of nearly 4 million pounds in 2009.

The data supports the many stories about the difficulties marijuana growers in Mexico face in light of increased competition from the north. As domestic marijuana production has ramped up in places such as California, Colorado and Washington, marijuana prices have fallen, especially at the bulk level.

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


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cannabis; marijuana; pot; potheads; wod
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To: Behind the Blue Wall
For the record, I don’t smoke pot.

No, of course not. I've never met a single person who is for legalizing pot who has smoked pot.

101 posted on 03/07/2016 9:28:50 AM PST by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all -- Texas Eagle)
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To: Texas Eagle

The snarky ad hominem is not really helping advance this discussion . . .


102 posted on 03/07/2016 9:35:53 AM PST by Behind the Blue Wall
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To: Behind the Blue Wall
The snarky ad hominem is not really helping advance this discussion . . .

And why would he want to advance this discussion?

103 posted on 03/07/2016 11:41:48 AM PST by ConservingFreedom (Trump fans:'he's no more conservative than Mitt'-www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3389209/posts)
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To: Texas Eagle; Behind the Blue Wall
I've never met a single person who is for legalizing pot who has smoked pot.

Now you have: I was a regular smoker for several years, ending over 20 years ago.

104 posted on 03/07/2016 11:42:48 AM PST by ConservingFreedom (Trump fans:'he's no more conservative than Mitt'-www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3389209/posts)
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To: ConservingFreedom

In the big scheme of things, I would rather have a few criminals making some money than an entire society walking around stoned out of their minds.

And it is ridiculous that states “make money” from alcohol, drugs, the lottery, gambling, and so forth. It does not contribute to have a moral society as our founders wished us to have. It is blood / immoral / corruption money.


105 posted on 03/09/2016 1:40:58 PM PST by DennisR (Look around - God gives countless, indisputable clues that He does, indeed, exist.)
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To: Ken H

“Agents snagged roughly 1.5 million pounds of marijuana at the border, down from a peak of nearly 4 million pounds in 2009.”

I’m not sure what that means. Either less coming across or more effective/efficient ways of transportation.


106 posted on 03/09/2016 1:50:49 PM PST by ALASKA (Disgusted.....)
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To: DennisR
Would it be better if criminals made that profit?

In the big scheme of things, I would rather have a few criminals making some money than an entire society walking around stoned out of their minds.

First, it's ridiculous to think pot legalization will lead to "an entire society walking around stoned out of their minds" - alcohol is legal and more addictive than pot but we don't have an entire society walking around drunk out of their minds.

Second, it's not just the billions that the criminals make: it's the violence that this money enables and motivates them to commit.

States profit from boozers now - is that bad?

And it is ridiculous that states 'make money' from alcohol, drugs, the lottery, gambling, and so forth. It does not contribute to have a moral society as our founders wished us to have. It is blood / immoral / corruption money.

What's the solution? Banning alcohol also led to bloodshed and corruption - so much so that a supermajority of Americans voted to end the ban.

107 posted on 03/09/2016 1:54:04 PM PST by ConservingFreedom (Trump fans:'he's no more conservative than Mitt'-www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3389209/posts)
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To: ALASKA

Of course USA legality is probably cutting the demand for imports?


108 posted on 03/09/2016 1:54:54 PM PST by nascarnation (RIP Scalia. Godspeed)
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To: nascarnation
The USA is now exporting its quality weed to Mexico.
109 posted on 03/09/2016 2:44:55 PM PST by ConservingFreedom (Trump fans:'he's no more conservative than Mitt'-www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3389209/posts)
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To: ConservingFreedom

Gotta love that American ag know-how!

I wonder if ag schools in legal grass states are developing the crop?


110 posted on 03/09/2016 3:13:53 PM PST by nascarnation (RIP Scalia. Godspeed)
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To: ConservingFreedom

And how many people have died from legal alcohol since then?


111 posted on 03/09/2016 9:35:59 PM PST by DennisR (Look around - God gives countless, indisputable clues that He does, indeed, exist.)
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To: DennisR
Banning alcohol also led to bloodshed and corruption - so much so that a supermajority of Americans voted to end the ban.

And how many people have died from legal alcohol since then?

The policy-relevant questions are: how many more died than would have if alcohol had remained illegal (violent crime rose during Prohibition) - and how many of any additional deaths were self-inflicted, and thus not properly preventable by a ban-triggered increase in non-self-inflicted deaths?

112 posted on 03/10/2016 7:46:49 AM PST by ConservingFreedom (Trump fans:'he's no more conservative than Mitt'-www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3389209/posts)
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To: ConservingFreedom

It is impossible to know how many would have died if alcohol had remained illegal, but my guess is that it would have been significantly less. The salient point is that criminals would have been killing criminals. That is pretty much the norm anyway. But we do know that making alcohol legal and, therefore, inexpensive and easily accessed, has lead to thousands and thousands of deaths. This includes thousands of innocent people who have been hurt, maimed, and/or killed by drunk drivers.


113 posted on 03/10/2016 8:04:17 PM PST by DennisR (Look around - God gives countless, indisputable clues that He does, indeed, exist.)
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To: DennisR
It is impossible to know how many would have died if alcohol had remained illegal, but my guess is that it would have been significantly less.

Policy should not be based on guesswork.

The salient point is that criminals would have been killing criminals.

As well as noncriminals.

114 posted on 03/11/2016 7:47:59 AM PST by ConservingFreedom (Trump fans:'he's no more conservative than Mitt'-www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3389209/posts)
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