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on the border line between the US and Mexico
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Monday, November 12, 2012

How Colorado and Washington Can Change the Drug War

Borderland Beat
 
It appears that the PRI party is receptive to the idea of the U.S. legalization of marijuana. Cesar Duarte weighs in that Mexico could leagally export MJ, control and regulate the drug. Mexico has decriminalized drug use of all drugs in small quanities for personal use, however many citizens and police remain ignorant to the recent law change.  After the Mexican law change, Calderon made a trip to California 2 years ago when legalization of  MJ was on the ballot.  In a perplexing move, on his trip to three California cities his  speeches included the fact that he was against the California initiative and hoped it would go down in defeat. Below is Global Post's take on the issue..Paz,  Chivis
 
Tuesday’s marijuana legalization votes could spark a movement that stems a key revenue stream for drug cartels.
Might Americans' growing ability to get stoned without fear of arrest end Mexico's bloody gangster wars?
The legalization of recreational marijuana approved by voters Tuesday in Washington and Colorado could sap power from vicious smuggling gangs, and undermine the Mexican government's rationale for pressing on with the drug war, some analysts say.
The impact of the vote hinges on whether the state initiatives survive expected court challenges and continued enforcement of US federal drug laws.
But if they do — and legalization catches a wave across America — Mexico's narco-traffickers could lose up to 30 percent of the estimated $6.5 billion they earn annually from smuggling drugs, according to a study by the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness, a private think tank.
“We don't know how this is going to end, but we do believe that something big can happen,” contends Alejandro Hope, author of the study and a former senior crime analyst with Mexico's equivalent of the CIA. “The mere possibility is enough to continue closing following the election results and what comes afterward.”
At least initially, US federal officials' reaction to the legalization vote is unlikely to be friendly. President Barack Obama’s administration so far has rejected calls from across Latin America — including from former presidents of Mexico, Colombia and Brazil — for drug decriminalization as a means to crimp cartel profits and stop the gangland violence.
“It's worth discussing, but there is no way the Obama-Biden administration will change its policy,” Vice President Joe Biden said in a March visit to Mexico City. Apart from Congressional opposition to a policy shift, the US is party to international treaties that require drug enforcement.
But the legalization votes came just weeks before Mexico's own presidential transition. Enrique Pena Nieto, who takes office Dec. 1, has signaled that he wants to shift the anti-gangster campaign away from drug interdiction toward curbing the violent crime plaguing ordinary Mexicans.
Pena aides and allies argued that the Washington and Colorado results support that view, requiring a rethink of Mexico's militarized anti-narcotics campaign, which has claimed at least 60,000 lives, and perhaps far many more, in the past six years.
“We have to carry out a review of our joint policies in regard to drug trafficking and security in general,” Luis Videgaray, a senior Pena aide, told a Mexican radio interviewer following Tuesday's vote in the US. “This obliges us to rethink our relationship in regards to security. This is an unforeseen element.”
Meanwhile, a key border state governor and Pena ally has set the bar pretty high on any government drug policy reform planning.
“It seems to me that we should move to authorize exports,” Cesar Duarte, governor of gangster-plagued Chihuahua, which includes Ciudad Juarez, told Reuters in an interview “We could therefore propose organizing production for export, and with it no longer being illegal, we would have control over a business which today is run by criminals. And which finances criminals.”
Despite booming pot production in California, Tennessee and other US states, Mexican marijuana still supplies about half the US market, according to the competitiveness institute study. Though lower than US marijuana in THC, the chemical that gives the weed its kick, Mexico's product is priced low enough to be competitive.
While a greater share of the gangs' profit comes from cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine — as well as kidnapping, extortion and other rackets — marijuana serves as a reliable bread and butter earner. An evaporating US market for Mexican marijuana would hit hardest the Sinaloa Cartel of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, which earns as much as half its income from smuggled pot, Hope's study estimates.

But the Zetas, a powerful rival cartel that controls much of northeastern Mexico and the South Texas border, would also be slammed. With only limited connections to Colombian cocaine suppliers, the Zetas rely on pot smuggling for much of their income. Losing the marijuana trade could push the Zetas more deeply into extortion, kidnapping, human smuggling and piracy of movies, music and oil.

Before the Nov. 6 vote, 14 US states already had treated low-volume marijuana possession much like traffic violations. Others such as California and, in this latest vote, Massachusetts, have legalized marijuana use for medical purposes, which critics say is a backdoor way for recreational users to get the drug.
“This obligates us to think deeply the strategy we have to have in Mexico toward fighting this criminality,” Manlio Fabio Beltrones, the powerful head of the congressional caucus of Pena's Institutional Revolutionary Party, said following Colorado and Washington marijuana votes. “Above all when the principal consumer is liberating its use.”
How to Invest in Legal Pot from- WSJ- READ HERE

Neglected War has another interesting article LINK HERE

68 comments:

  1. Nice to see this country is finally thinking progressively. After all is said & done, I really do love this country. It is an amazing place to live & raise a family.

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  2. Para que nos hacemos pen...., Mexico no puede controlar todos los ataques narco terroristas, mucho menos el control de la marijuana. El Chapo se encarga de to
    do eso, el controla el pais Mexicano.

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    Replies
    1. Como eres pendejo y lambe huevos.Si chapo no puede controlar su estado mucho menos mexico.Vato ignorante.

      Delete
  3. How can the government in both sides have their people getting paid for their work be so dump? That won't help anything it's going to get everything worst. If they can't get their money from drugs their are going to get their income kidnaping or extorting working people.

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  4. Dose any one really think that cartels care if its legally smoked. All cartels just care about is money they are still guna try to profit form weed any way they can. Al quds God bless

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  5. The states just have to get over the fact that the will not collect the taxes that they hope they would on mj. A market for lower priced mexican marijuana will never cease to exist due to the close proximity to Mexico and not all users being able to afford the legal more expensive version. I really doubt growers would sell they domestic mj grown from good seed stock for under $100.00 an ounce after paying tax. Yea people will argue that Mexican mj is inferior in many ways but so is colt 45 malt liquor and king cobra compared to other liquor but many people will drink it just to get drunk. A whole new black market has been created. Anybody can grow quality tax free pot, including criminals. Why would the end user buy the taxed version when the untaxed version is cheaper? Growing pot is nowhere as complicated as growing/curing tobacco or home brewing beer.

    Saludos...

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    1. You are truly a dumb fuck. Nobody is gonna pay for that Mexican trash when everyone can grow it for free dumb ass. And yes unlike you dumb ghetto fucks us people who work for our money don't mind paying a little more for bomb ass quality, not your seedy fucking junk weed! Think like a common sense human being and not a fuckong cartel worshiper! Goddamn idiot!

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    2. Greedy ambicious united states

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    3. If the weed grows really fast and you can grow a lot at the same time then the weed would be priced less even after taxes. 28 grams of sum good regular weed can still cost 50$ as in the black market. Matter fact you dont even gotta buy it you can grow it so there you go free cannabis one of the best feelings there is.

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  6. As far as dope is concerned, the customers are captive customers.
    Any product with captive customers are very lucrative.
    Does anyone think that the cartels will just quietly give up on the narcotic trade just because such drugs are legalised?
    Now way!!
    They will still fight each other to control the market!
    And the bloodletting will go on.
    Besides that, these gangs are also engaged with a lot of other lucrative "trades" like, kidnapping, extortion, thievery, prostitution etc.
    So, there is still plenty for the cartels to indulge in.
    So, don't ever count on legalising drugs to stop the cartels!
    It's wishful thinking!!!

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    Replies
    1. No, you forget once the US Govt steps in your fucking cartel isn't gonna get a foothold on shit! Keep wishing mother fuckers!

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    2. I dont see people in Chicago and new York killing each other over the liquer trade anymore. Once prohibition of alcohol ended all them bootleggin king pins got their money and retired. The other ones started their own beer and liquer companys with their family. Alcapone spend the rest of his life chillin in Miami. Ending prohibition does end the market. They won't have enough to bribe. Young people wont get dragged into the buissness by force. Officials can focus on the real crimes and they will. Instead of looking for grass in the mountains the soldiers would find the remaining groups of kidnappers.

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  7. It would take a lot of states to make it work. Especially states like California, which contain 1/6 of the US population. I have read that weed is the crop that has always been pure profit for these guys. Its a start.

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  8. If MJ is a "gateway" drug for users to use other stronger and more dangerous drugs then will MJ be the "gateway" drug for eventual legalization of all other drugs?

    Cristero

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    Replies
    1. No, the population is too smart for that.

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    2. its not a gateway drug

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  9. This is one small step for man, n one giant step for mankind........
    notorious...m.e.x.

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  10. grows on trees
    grow your own MEDS

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  11. I think a lot will depend on how the law gets enacted and carried out. I really don't think that's clear yet.

    If you've even been to Vancouver, CA, it's easy to see right away that the drug world is far less dangerous as it's basically legally. It takes the fear/arrest issue right out of the picture. In my mind that can't be anything but better.

    Some mj will be bought that's from the cartels but I wouldn't be surprised to see accessibility to medical use increase as well. I think that really could hurt the cartels. If you can go to your local pharmacy and pick up a script it will take it off the street.

    One area that I guess is an open question to me and that is the question of how much cartels have expanded their range. If they've diversified enough maybe they won't feel the pinch that much from the changes in the laws?

    El Juero

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  12. Hope this means Hashyshy too,wont have to get my head cut offske then.

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  13. Beltrones is the biggest mj producer in sonora. He has lots to gain if it gets legalized because it would make him a legit business man, not just a politician. Back when he was governor of sonora, his property up in the sonora mountains got raided by the military and thousands of mj plants were distroyed. He just played the part that he didnt know his land was being misused and got of without anything happening to him. But believe you me, he is a big fish and the u.s. gov knows that!

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    Replies
    1. Is one idiotic person speaking on behalf of a COUNTRY???? Hahaha

      United States marijuana or Mexican Marijuana is the same thing dumbass!!!!!!!



      they are both a waste of time.

      Delete
  14. The one big thing that no one has touched on is how are they going to transport it to the states that are legal. Because the last time I checked the rest of the did not vote on it. So transporting narcotics in those states is still illegal. Plus if you look at the laws closely the states voted on it and the federal government did not so there fore it is still illegal.

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    1. 9:03 p.m. I totally agree. And, may I add, if our "Top Cop, Eric Holder" remains...good freaking luck changing much. He's against ANY use at all of mj. I haven't smoked since the 70's but check out the stats of how many people got arrested last year for pot im the US. AND IT'S NOT ALL BIG TIME DEALERS. Plus, the DEA is raiding mj shops all over CA. It's going to take ALOT to change the status quo. Which means the cartels will still keep making their money and causing mayhem. Just saying...

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  15. Good shit bro, Mexico no more money for you from marijuana !!!!

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  16. The cartels will not give up that easily.

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  17. No necesito dependencias -- cigarrillos ni marihuana para funcionar. Tengo una familia y nuestro cielo es la conexión que tenemos ...

    Por favor, HABLAMOS DE VALORES!

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  18. 8:20. Are we reading the same comments.

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  19. @8:20
    Can you explain why just about anybody can obtain a med card in California and smoke higher quality marijauna from a dispensary and yet tons of Mexican cartel marijuana are sold and smoked every year?
    #whenkeepingitrealgoeswrong

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  20. Christero, no it will not go that way. The gateway "drug" theory is bunk. The only gateway that exists is to drug "dealers" as long as it's illegal. Marijuana is obtained from the same sources as other now illegal drugs. When marijuana is not illegal people will not need to go to drug dealers... there will be plenty of non-illegal sources and drug dealers will no longer be needed. Entonces, drug dealers will have a harder time finding recruits for hard drugs. And, as we now know, there is no logical connections by the dealer's bogus come-on that "they lied about marijuana, it's cool, it's safe; go ahead, try this meth" and so on. Marijuana is not the gateway; drug dealers are the gateway.
    Cora de Nayarit

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    1. I really like intelligent posts like yours, bravo!

      Delete
    2. Bad friends are te gateway. Most kids show up to parties and the drugs are already there. They will be using hard drugs at parties and then will come up with the bright idea of buying their own bag and then the friend refers them to a dealer.

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  21. Heard chino 5.7 got whacked in sinaloa!!! Rumor

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  22. I think it is somewhat amusing that some people feel that some great corner has been turned. I think this is more out of wishful thinking than looking at reality. However you may feel about it, the US government is not going to allow any widespread, easy use of marijuana any time soon. They have made that very clear time and again.

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    1. Oh it has turned a corner, closed minded people like you just don't want to accept it. We'll see how many states jump on the band wagon by next election time, marijuana is leagal now and is here to stay!

      Delete
  23. Cigarettes are a gateway drug. Alcohol is a gateway drug. STFU about pot being a gateway drug. In countries where marijuana has been legalized, hard drug use goes down. This is consistent across the board.

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  24. If they decide to ship legal marijuana to the US for sale, they should grow better shit. Unless it's $1 a gram, nobody will buy that shit when it's sitting next to some dank in a smoke shop. More than likely shop won't even sell that garbage..

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    Replies
    1. No cartel is gonna pay an import tax, c'mon man you know that!

      Delete
  25. I don't think there will be a drop in violence because of this. The reason for the killings are territory. Because with territory, you have more products to smuggle. More soled products mean more money. And with money you have power. The power to buy the corrupt government. Kinda like "El Chapo" does. Becomes untouchable .
    I think guns are a bigger problem than weed though. Guns are being used to kill the people and over power the police that are not well equipped. Sometimes causing those police forces to not fight back and give in. Weed isn't shedding blood. Plus other drugs are still moving north.
    I think this will affect The Sinaloa Cartel more than any other. Because of marijuana being their main product. Correct me if im wrong.

    Just wanted to share what I think.

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  26. Everybody slow down there are plenty of drug users in the United States,plenty crack heads hahaha so the cartels will introduce more Crystal..since highly addictive.I doubt cartels have a problem with this

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  27. i think its gana create more problems dispenseries are getting robbed now . imagine when theres more.

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  28. They dont have to transport it there,they can grow it there..

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  29. one thing is correct, if mj is legalized or decriminalized in the us, northeastern mexico will be an even more dangerous place as the zetas turn to other means to finance themselves...

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  30. Do you really think chappo is is going on a budget because of this? Mx will be pumping in tons of drugs to the US long after we are all gone,...this is not gonna change anything!!! Btw whats plan b?

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  31. For the people that say this won't hurt the cartels, just use your head for a moment. What if hundreds of thousands of people say to themselves, If I can grow it, why would I buy it? If I ain't buying, cartels ain't getting my money. Also, if I can buy great mj and I can afford it, why would I buy the Mexican dirt weed? The only income the cartel gets from mj in these states are the bottom feeders that are unable to grow it and can't afford good mj. In the end, the cartels get money from bottom feeders, ja ja have a nice day :)

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  32. I imagine some big corporation will take over domestic marijuana production to the chagrin of these Occupy Wall Streeters who supposedly are against big bank funded corporations . LOL I see corporate suits meeting to discuss 3rd quarter profits made from potheads and how to exploit these new consumers for maximium profit . Only a big well oiled corporation can take over everything from production , distribution , and marketing .

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  33. Latin American growers/narcos/transportistas lost their hold on the market when they started thinking quantity not quality. anyone with eyes and a nose can tell you. teenagers and people in small towns smoke marijuana mexicano. reggie/schwag/mota is compressed w seeds and moldy. its a mess. it makes people get lung infections. legal or not, it is an inferior product due to the lack of care in handling. there is a big difference in mass produced plants with weak genetics and mota puro.

    el chino rojo

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  34. Illegal or not, it is a commodity. Anyone growing it is big competition for the cartels. If it were so easy to expand other sources of revenue, they certainly would have already. This would directly hit their bottom line.

    If Mexico legalized the farming and processing, they could certainly produce some competitively priced products. Mexico is certainly capable of indoor grows for high quality herb, and there will always be cheap hash or other extracts/concentrates to be made from low quality herb. Believe it or not, people still buy the cheap stuff over the premium, you have more to smoke, it isn't so strong in effects, and it is just plain cheap, somewhat like choosing beer over hard liquor. Mexico has a poor reputation for quality because they have gotten away with people paying for whatever quality they can get. Mexico does produce some great tequilas, and some downright bad ones, with most all of them available in the US.

    It's certainly possible. Speculation will only go so far until you actually try.

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  35. November 12, 2012 9:12 PM
    "No necesito dependencias -- cigarrillos ni marihuana para funcionar. Tengo una familia y nuestro cielo es la conexión que tenemos ...
    Por favor, HABLAMOS DE VALORES"
    I just had to run this again,i liked it so much. Senore you get it,as do i.

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  36. The gateway "drug" theory is bunk?
    How would you know?In my work,of which i am selfless in my devotion,i see many less fortunate than me,i dont make judgements,i was born more intelligent than most,so it is not their fault.I would remind you that i have experience in many fields and some expertise,i am not being presumptuous in my assertions,but i know more than you,and i believe in the"gateway theory"leading to harder drugs and hence more criminality and lawless behavior.
    Cristero

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    Replies
    1. "I was born more intelligent thAn most". Really dude? A little full of ourself aren't we?

      Delete
  37. If the gateway theory s true then they US will have to outlaw titties because under that theory, breast-feeding leads to alcoholism.

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  38. Im from Washington state and im just wateing for the exact procedure on manufacturing. After that is all said and done yall can come over to my farm and buy whole sale! some of the most potent weed's available.i am an expert in botany and know the biology of plants well lets say i know weed preety well. il keep yall mothafukas posted on the day i start my first bach. sincearly your local weed farmer: Sergio

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  39. arrrriba arrrriba sergio nah jk

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  40. Actually the most Dangerous drugs are alcohol & Tabacco. Them together kill more people all over the world, and the medical cost to treat this addictions are higher then any other!

    Pro Cannabis
    Gamedog!

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  41. "Heard chino 5.7 got whacked in sinaloa!!! Rumor"
    Is this Chino Antrax?Hasn't he been called dead before?As you say,rumor?

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  42. I think the governments of Colorado and Washington are high on BATH salts.....All states have lawsuits against tabacco companies due to high health care costs from smoking.1 joint has the same affect as a pack of cigarrites. Initially it won't be a joint,but stoners build up tolerances quickly.WHO is going to pay for their lung damage?

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    Replies
    1. I've never heard of anyone developing lung cancer from marijuana. Where people might smoke 4-5 marijuana cigarette in a day some people smoke 2-3 packs of tobacco cigarette, that's 40-60. So your argument is weak at best.

      Delete
  43. "You are truly a dumb fuck. Nobody is gonna pay for that Mexican trash when everyone can grow it for free dumb ass. And yes unlike you dumb ghetto fucks us people who work for our money don't mind paying a little more for bomb ass quality, not your seedy fucking junk weed! Think like a common sense human being and not a fuckong cartel worshiper! Goddamn idiot!"

    Wow that's a great argument. I am stunned by you 3rd grade level of intelligence.
    Saludos...

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  44. The importance of what is written above is extremely overstated. Silly.

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  45. Of course Calederon is against legalization that's $ out of his pocket

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  46. The govt should sell the seized pot it would be 100% Profit plus put a tax on it that would make them further there crackdown on drugs they could even put the profits towards law enforcement !!

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    Replies
    1. They already sell it pharm companies to manufacture meds such as marinol. They don't actually destroy all of it, just parts of it for the camera.

      Delete

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