Oh? Not being up to speed on this psychotropic drug stuff and the criminal element involved in states that have legalized marijuana, I asked the trusty internet “Does legalizing marijuana reduce crime?”
This article popped up straight away: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/foreign-cartels-embrace-home-grown-marijuana-pot-legal-states-n875666.
In part, NBC reported in May, 2018 that “Federal officials allege that legal recreational marijuana states like California, Colorado and Washington, where enforcement of growing regulations is hit-or-miss, have been providing cover for transnational criminal organizations willing to invest big money to buy or rent property to achieve even bigger returns.”
Then, the Reason Foundation’s study, released in Sep. 2018 (https://reason.org/wp-content/uploads/does-legalizing-marijuana-reduce-crime.pdf) appeared:
“SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
“The evidence presented in this brief suggests that legalization of marijuana for medical or recreational use results in:
“1. Patients substituting marijuana for other drugs, including opiates.
“2. Marijuana consumers substituting legitimate marijuana for illicit marijuana.
“3. A significant reduction in crimes associated with marijuana production, distribution,sale and possession.
“4. Reductions in other crimes, including some property and violent crimes.”
Rather than list each pro or anti-marijuana legalization article (ALL of which seemed to have a bias, BTW) I’ll just remark that they seem to be evenly split: pro articles touted the virtue of legalization while anti articles touted the dangers of legalization.
IMHO it boils down to a personal opinion. So, out discussion is, truly, over. I will not respond to any further pings on this issue because we have no common ground.
You are for legalization, and I am against it.
The pig is annoyed – let us drop the issue!
“Federal officials allege that legal recreational marijuana states like California, Colorado and Washington, where enforcement of growing regulations is hit-or-miss, have been providing cover for transnational criminal organizations willing to invest big money to buy or rent property to achieve even bigger returns.”
No evidence there that cartels have replaced the income lost to legal sales - they've simply responded by getting their reduced income through modified means. And note that the article says their customers are in the nonlegalizing states.
I will not respond to any further pings on this issue
Please understand if this fails to distress me. I will continue to respond to any further faulty logic or facts.