When will pot become a mainstream political issue?

[Jacob]

Met some Vancouver detectives a couple years ago.  Man, they had some hardcore tales to tell.

Interesting factoid they mentioned:  Vancouver also happens to be North America's biggest launch point for the sex slave trade to the Middle East.  For a lot of runaway blondes from the midwest, Vancouver's their last stop before a short life to Sheikh Rattle and Roll.

Really? Never heard anything like it... who runs that? And why Vancouver?

I didn't realize there was a big sex slave trade out of North America.

[Tonitrus]

Met some Vancouver detectives a couple years ago.  Man, they had some hardcore tales to tell.

Interesting factoid they mentioned:  Vancouver also happens to be North America's biggest launch point for the sex slave trade to the Middle East.  For a lot of runaway blondes from the midwest, Vancouver's their last stop before a short life to Sheikh Rattle and Roll.

Really? Never heard anything like it... who runs that? And why Vancouver?

I didn't realize there was a big sex slave trade out of North America.

I am sure it pales compared to Eastern Europe.

[CountDeMoney]

Met some Vancouver detectives a couple years ago.  Man, they had some hardcore tales to tell.

Interesting factoid they mentioned:  Vancouver also happens to be North America's biggest launch point for the sex slave trade to the Middle East.  For a lot of runaway blondes from the midwest, Vancouver's their last stop before a short life to Sheikh Rattle and Roll.

Really? Never heard anything like it... who runs that? And why Vancouver?

Triady chinky types with waypoint connections.

I didn't realize there was a big sex slave trade out of North America.

Well, as big as it gets for North America. 
It's not like they're getting stuffed into CHINA SHIPPING containers by the bushels, but they contend it's happening.

[11B4V]

Leagalize Pot and Prostitution. Control it, regulate it, and tax it.

[Barrister]

You know it's gotten to the point where prescription drug abuse is probably as big a problem as cocaine / crack.  I have my doubts about how effective legalization / decriminalization would be.

Well, a big difference is you cannot grow Oxycontin in your backyard....the main point with pot, is that it should be very easy to kill the profit motive.

You probably can't grow cocaine in your backyard either.

I'm kinda iffy on legalizing pot.  Cocaine...nah.

If you really want to take organized crime completely out of the picture you have to legalize everything, and make it easily available (as in no prescription needed).

Legalize pot if you want.  It will only make a marginal difference to organized crime.

[jimmy olsen]

You probably can't grow cocaine in your backyard either.

No, but you can trade your backyard grown pot for the cocaine someone down south grew in their yard.

But if Pot's legal the street price will collapse and you won't be able to trade it for cocaine.

[Razgovory]

I wonder what the ratio of pot used that is grown in the US vs smuggled in.

[crazy canuck]

Legalize pot if you want.  It will only make a marginal difference to organized crime.

You have any evidence of that or is it just your personal opinion.  Fyi, there is a group of academics, ex-judges, ex and current majors (who sat and sit on police boards) that take a very different view of that issue.

[Barrister]

Legalize pot if you want.  It will only make a marginal difference to organized crime.

You have any evidence of that or is it just your personal opinion.  Fyi, there is a group of academics, ex-judges, ex and current majors (who sat and sit on police boards) that take a very different view of that issue.

Personal opinion, but I'd like to think I have enough first hand experience to make my opinion worth something.

[CountDeMoney]

Legalize pot if you want.  It will only make a marginal difference to organized crime.

You have any evidence of that or is it just your personal opinion.  Fyi, there is a group of academics, ex-judges, ex and current majors (who sat and sit on police boards) that take a very different view of that issue.

If pot is legalized, organized crime will still undercut the government's parameters in every respect, from production to retail.

Now, it may very well wind up not nearly being as profitable as it is now, but that's a matter of degrees, considering the obscene profit margin for CDS.

[Barrister]

Legalize pot if you want.  It will only make a marginal difference to organized crime.

You have any evidence of that or is it just your personal opinion.  Fyi, there is a group of academics, ex-judges, ex and current majors (who sat and sit on police boards) that take a very different view of that issue.

If pot is legalized, organized crime will still undercut the government's parameters in every respect, from production to retail.

Now, it may very well wind up not nearly being as profitable as it is now, but that's a matter of degrees, considering the obscene profit margin for CDS.

We already have a not-insignificant problem with tobacco smuggling due to our high taxes.  There are also huge profits to be made selling other illegal drugs such as cocaine or meth.

I'm not saying legalizing pot would make absolutely zero difference.  The quite elaborate grow-ops we keep finding clearly show there is some significant money to be made on pot.  But legalizing pot by itself most certainly won't put the HAs out of business.

[crazy canuck]

Legalize pot if you want.  It will only make a marginal difference to organized crime.

You have any evidence of that or is it just your personal opinion.  Fyi, there is a group of academics, ex-judges, ex and current majors (who sat and sit on police boards) that take a very different view of that issue.

Personal opinion, but I'd like to think I have enough first hand experience to make my opinion worth something.

Here is a brief report on the topic. You should specifically read the FAQ section (first question) which specifically addresses your point.  I also recommend the rest of the report.

http://stoptheviolencebc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/STVBC-Breaking-the-Silence.pdf

[crazy canuck]

If pot is legalized, organized crime will still undercut the government's parameters in every respect, from production to retail.

I doubt it.  Pot is dirt cheap to grow - literally.  It is like a weed - literally 

The profit is generated by the risk factor caused by the conduct being illegal.

BB is correct that high taxes create opportunities for cigarette smuggling.  But smugglers are not growing thier own tobbacco...

[Gups]

Personal opinion, but I'd like to think I have enough first hand experience to make my opinion worth something.

It's a really crap opinion (unusual for you). If you think that removing a revenue source worth approximately $40bn* in the USA would have a marginal impact on organised crime, you must be tripping.

* Estimate from CNBC
http://www.cnbc.com/id/36179677/How_Big_Is_The_Marijuana_Market

[CountDeMoney]

If pot is legalized, organized crime will still undercut the government's parameters in every respect, from production to retail.

I doubt it.  Pot is dirt cheap to grow - literally.  It is like a weed - literally 

The profit is generated by the risk factor caused by the conduct being illegal.

BB is correct that high taxes create opportunities for cigarette smuggling.  But smugglers are not growing thier own tobbacco...

Yeah, but think about it:  if pot is legalized, then all the standards and practices the government invariably tosses into such a subject would come into play--quality, type, HCL content, etc.

There would still be an underground market for bigger, better buds than the mediocre, overtaxed pot that would be allowed in the public market.