Announcing a new drug war -against the government regulations

[Payaso]

It's long overdue, the backlash against the stupidity of our nation's drug laws and 'holier than thou' attitude towards the rest of the world. The old axiom. 'Do as I say, not as I do,' just doesn't cut the mustard any more.

A new drug war, this one over whether marijuana legalization would help or hinder Juárez, got under way Monday.

City Reps. Beto O'Rourke and Susie Byrd called a news conference to say they believe reforming drug laws and legalizing marijuana would help reduce violence in Mexico.

O'Rourke and Byrd, joined at the Paso del Norte Bridge by fellow city Reps. Steve Ortega and Ann Morgan Lilly, displayed a declaration in support of Juárez.

Oscar J. Martinez, a history professor and border expert at the University of Arizona, read from the group's resolution.

"Those who think they have the moral high ground by supporting prohibition are not giving proper attention to the disastrous consequences of that tragically misguided policy," said Martinez, a native of Juárez.

"The cure has been much more deadly than the disease itself. The price of prohibition - turning cities like Juárez into killing fields of massive proportions - is totally unacceptable and morally repugnant."

The full story is here.

 

[IC BUDZ]

if legalized would all the people in prison for marijuana chages be re evaluated and possibly released?

 

[Lazyman]

Nope, the only offenses that will be legalized are posession under 1 oz (which is currently a $100 fine) or cultivating personal amounts (currently a diversion program, for first-time offenders.) I very much doubt anyone will actually be released from jail, since they probably weren't sent there in the first place for very minor MJ offenses.

 

[Catharsis]

While I'm definitely for legalization of cannabis worldwide, I don't think legalization in Mexico will close the book on this violence. Only when the US nuts up and does the same will shit like this calm down. As long as it is legal right across the border, the Mexican cartels will have incentive to fight it out for control of the drug routes into the US. So, yes, Mexico should legalize, but until we do as well I don't think there will be much change.

 

[Yes4Prop215]

if the cartels lost their ability to make money off weed smuggling, they would probably resort to pushing more cocaine, more heroin, and more kidnappings to make funds...i dont see the bloodshed ever stopping

 

[vta]

if the cartels lost their ability to make money off weed smuggling, they would probably resort to pushing more cocaine, more heroin, and more kidnappings to make funds...i dont see the bloodshed ever stopping

This is the only reason cannabis is a gateway drug. In the sense that cannabis users buying from a black market dealers are then are exposed to harder drugs. When I buy a 6 pack, the dude doesn't say, " hey check out this killer blow I got"...but black market dealers do. In other words....it will be harder for them to get more people hooked on the harder stuff if cannabis was legalized thus limiting the demand.

Nope, the only offenses that will be legalized are posession under 1 oz (which is currently a $100 fine) or cultivating personal amounts (currently a diversion program, for first-time offenders.) I very much doubt anyone will actually be released from jail, since they probably weren't sent there in the first place for very minor MJ offenses.

Lazy...very true about the cali initiative. But they are taking about national legalization and not what Cali is doing.

 

[Hydrosun]

if the cartels lost their ability to make money off weed smuggling, they would probably resort to pushing more cocaine, more heroin, and more kidnappings to make funds...i dont see the bloodshed ever stopping

Who cares how anyone makes money? Because some bad people make money off of weed is no reason to continue an immoral law. How about the pigs go about preventing kidnappings, if they did my attitude towards them might soften.

 

[Yes4Prop215]

^im just saying that legalizing weed is not gonna "destroy" the cartels...they are just gonna find other and more violent ways to make money. they are already feeling the squeeze on the border, which is why in the last few years kidnappings have skyrocketed. those assholes will find ways to get cash somehow....

 

[greentrich]

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/13/declaration-in-support-of-cuidad-juarez

There's the petition to sign. They need 1000 sigs before Thursday. Up to 96 right now.

 

[Bob Green]

Please sig people!!!

Please sig people!!!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/13/declaration-in-support-of-cuidad-juarez/715785829/taf

Start healing the borderland!!!

 

[trichrider]

wassup? there are no borders for violence or greed, success is earned, this is why we must sign.

 

[Canna-Bass]

True but problems are best solved one at a time

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

Gonzalez said. "You still have cocaine, heroin and meth to deal with. I don't see the logic in the argument that legalizing one drug will take care of the problem."

^it will a lot help dumb ass.

 

[Catharsis]

Gonzalez said. "You still have cocaine, heroin and meth to deal with. I don't see the logic in the argument that legalizing one drug will take care of the problem."

You've oversimplified the issue. Legalizing a single substance may sound insignificant, but if you first determine the number of users you can better determine how much of their customer base you'd be removing.

I don't have any hard numbers for you, but I'd wager that the number of cannabis smokers in the US far outweighs the users of other drugs and thus legalizing it and removing it as a source of revenue for the cartels would definitely put a major dent in their business model.

Found numbers here: http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/node/27

Definitely a huge difference in the number of reported users.

EDIT: With that said, these cartels didn't get so powerful because of their stupidity. They will, if they want to survive, find new and fascinating ways of making stacks of cash at our expense.

 

[SeniorBuzz]

It's said that the cartels derive 75% of their income from marijuana

so if they lose the CA market, it's a huge hit

Over 40% of the drugs come across in the Tucson Sector

UNITED STATES BORDER DRUG INTERCEPTS
(Source DHS/CBP)
FYEAR---MARIJUANA (lbs)---COCAINE(lbs)---HEROIN(oz)---METH(lbs)
1999-------1,170,941------------29,672-------------771-------------xxx
2000-------1,316,849------------23,203-----------1,209-------------18
2001-------1,166,764------------18,535-----------1,491------------144
2002-------1,234,329------------14,334-----------2,516------------229
2003-------1,350,809------------14,892-----------3,852------------356
2004-------1,347,356------------14,819-----------2,316------------977
2005-------1,208,663------------11,903-----------3,206------------728
2006-------1,369,602------------12,885-----------2,758------------594
2007-------1,859,299------------14,242-----------1,866------------342
2008-------1,642,420-------------9,272--------------735----------- 483
2009-------2,591,215------------10,907-----------3,056------------951
2010*------1,358,654-------------5,624-----------2,089------------557

*FY2010 stats as of 4/1/10 (6 months)

Drug Movement Into and Within the United States
http://bit.ly/cuck5W

Drug Transportation Corridors in the United States
http://bit.ly/ap3WKp

The war on drugs is a forty year failure. Prohibitionist policies based on eradication, interdiction and criminalization of consumption simply haven't worked. The war on drugs is an enormous waste of resources. The United States now incarcerates people at a rate nearly five times the world average. In large part, that’s because the number of people in prison for drug offenses has risen from under 50,000 in 1980 to over half million today. Until the war on drugs with their draconian drug laws came along, our incarceration rate was roughly the same as that of other countries. Jeffrey Miron, a Harvard economist, has found that federal, state and local governments spend $44.1 billion annually enforcing drug prohibitions. We spend seven times as much on drug interdiction, policing and imprisonment as we do on treatment. It's time to treat drug addiction as healthcare problem and not a law enforcement problem. It is also high time to consider legalization, not as a panacea but as the least worst option.
http://mydd.com/2010/3/1/the-invasion

 

[SeniorBuzz]

I'm still trying to understand the existing relationship

between:

The Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010
http://www.taxcannabis.org/index.php/pages/initiative/

and

Marijuana Control, Regulation, and Education Act. AB 2254
http://bit.ly/besEZw

 

[binaryfission]

if the cartels lost their ability to make money off weed smuggling, they would probably resort to pushing more cocaine, more heroin, and more kidnappings to make funds...i dont see the bloodshed ever stopping

ok first, the "cartels" aren't a bunch of gangsters or idiots. They run/monitor/control a multi-billion dollar drug empire ten times larger than "al-qaeda." (Afghanistan opium/heroin trade is $2-3 billion max. Mexican Border trade in cocaine, meth weed, heroin is more than $20 billion) They aren't hiding out in caves, they control the worlds largest narco state on our southern border.

second, The majority of the cocaine in america comes thru mexico but not from mexico. it is still originating in south america and the cartels are getting transportation and distribution fees. they smuggle this.

third, the cartels grow a huge percentage of the weed. some say it is as much as 60% of their yearly profit. Even if it is 40%. take that away from them and they are broke. There isn't enough meth or coke or heroin in the world to make up for that and here is why. They can't fight the DEA with half their budget. Political corruption is expensive.

fourth, you need acres to make heroin and cocaine. acres upon acres upon acres. processing. chemicals etc. weed can be profitable on ten acres. small farmers. smaller organizations. less overhead.

fifth, i want to challenge your assumption of endless bloodshed but i don't have the will. basically, if americans will still pay $40/g for 30% coke, people will kill to make the money.

and i just want to note a little fact that might be illuminating to some of you. more than 18,000 people have been killed in mexico in the last three years. Lets assume 10,00 were cartel killings. Do you understand the amount of discipline this takes? And this hasn't spilled over the border. Laredo is one of the safest cities in america. Trained soldiers have problems not crossing lines and minimizing collateral damage.

 

[draco]

BF

this post needs a wider audience. goodly said.

 

[draco]

While I'm definitely for legalization of cannabis worldwide, I don't think legalization in Mexico will close the book on this violence. Only when the US nuts up and does the same will shit like this calm down. As long as it is legal right across the border, the Mexican cartels will have incentive to fight it out for control of the drug routes into the US. So, yes, Mexico should legalize, but until we do as well I don't think there will be much change.

yabbut i bet this talk of legalization gives the cartels shivers...

fuck me but they gotta be in to beat legalization! see how they go after everything else? shit...

 

[LifeIsGrowing]

If it's really that hard to figure out. Check out the MERP plan. MRPP organization. They have the right idea for taking the money away from the life-sucking cartels.

We need to realize that over the years even at a minimalist look at how much this war has cost us, we have lost nearly 500 Billion(we all know it's more but yea), just giving it away, not including any of the costs it takes to enforce the stupid laws, and the insanely high price it causes to house inmates.

If we effectively legalized cannabis, It would bring back various amounts of cash flow back into our country (hemp oil, clothing, food, tinctures, etc.) not to mention jobs that are deathly needed.

We can't reverse what we did so far. But we can change how the future plays itself out. No one can truly say "This will fix ... overnight" no matter what. And when your looking at something that has been going on for 40 years, yes it's hard to see how it will take away from the cartels. It will take at least 10 years by a minimalist idea to bring back even 1/4 of what we've lost if you include the money spent by the DEA, Federal Housing, and enforcement that would be saved.

But it can be done. I'm sorry but I know alot more people who smoke cannabis, than shoot dirty mexican tar or even mess with coke hardly. Which is what seems to be forgotten, even though they are making SOME money off these drugs, it's nothing compared to what it would be like, if a kid in the US could grow up knowing, respecting, and understanding the most beautiful thing on this earth, wouldn't be working with drug cartels, cause why would they?

Most 14-16 year old kids don't transport or sell large amounts of hard-drugs, but at the same time most kids don't realize half the cannabis they are buying is grown in mexico and improperly handled, treated, and cared for making for a disgusting end product. And that's how they find harder drugs.

Take it from someone who lived that life, seeing exactly how mexico took over the american market and introduced a whole new batch of bad substances to our kids who have grown old and now regret most of what they did and what happened due to the things they use to get products into the US, or just they're sheer lack of care for Cannabis as it should be, not sprayed with pesticide plains and packed in downy sheets

I wish I would have been taught from an earlier age, the truth, about cannabis. But I learned early enough... And got out of all that shit. But I don't think I'd even know it existed if it weren't for Mexico.

-LIG

P.S. Has anyone noticed how the drug czar keeps saying that in the last 10 years cannabis use among children has been reduced greatly?

Funny how he never mentions that the reason why is kids grow up meeting up with the wrong people to early, and guess what it's none of the drugs they ever talk about. It's the one's we make ourselves right here in the good ol' USA, and that's prescription drugs. That's what all kids having been doing the last 10 years since the Oxycontin boom. So yea, f' there statistics on marijuana use going down when really it's just kids don't have enough money to buy Oxy's, Vicodins, Xanax, etc. AND buy cannabis.