2 ms·

The point is the criminal organizations aren't going to simply disappear if/when drugs are legalized. They're going to pivot to some other illegal activity to

The point is the criminal organizations aren't going to simply disappear if/when drugs are legalized. They're going to pivot to some other illegal activity to preserve their livelihood. Perhaps more conventional crimes like money laundering, loan sharking, and political graft will be less violent. But they certainly survived the end of prohibition without going legitimate.

Volundr 6y ago
Except... they kind of did. Prohibition created revenue opportunity for gangs and organized crime. Ending prohibition removed this revenue, replacing the speakeasy with legalized and regulated bars and liquor stores, effectively cutting off this revenue stream. Sure the Mob didn't magically disappear overnight, but it began a decline they never recovered from. Replacing that revenue stream isn't as easy as "just" finding another racket, there is a lot of difficulty hidden in that "just".
- dariusj18 6y ago
  I wonder, if we decriminalize drugs and give priority for licenses and rights to ex dealers and gangsters if that would be a good thing or a bad thing. In a way it kills two birds with one stone, 1. Eliminates the criminal element, 2. Offers a financial incentive towards legitimizing their enterprise. In another it might reward people who may have done a lot of bad things, and puts them in a legitimized position of power over people they may have been terrorizing for decades.
- quicklyfrozen 6y ago
  I think society was a little different then. People had a shot at changing their life and switching to legitimate work. That's not really possible any more; once you have a felony arrest, you've got a black mark against you. Low-level jobs that might be willing to hire ex-cons don't realistically pay enough to support someone. I'm not saying we shouldn't legalize drugs; I'm just saying any such policy change should also include some help for individuals to move away from that life or they'll more-or-less be forced into other illegal activities.

Volundr 6y ago

Except... they kind of did. Prohibition created revenue opportunity for gangs and organized crime. Ending prohibition removed this revenue, replacing the speakeasy with legalized and regulated bars and liquor stores, effectively cutting off this revenue stream. Sure the Mob didn't magically disappear overnight, but it began a decline they never recovered from. Replacing that revenue stream isn't as easy as "just" finding another racket, there is a lot of difficulty hidden in that "just".

dariusj18 6y ago
I wonder, if we decriminalize drugs and give priority for licenses and rights to ex dealers and gangsters if that would be a good thing or a bad thing. In a way it kills two birds with one stone, 1. Eliminates the criminal element, 2. Offers a financial incentive towards legitimizing their enterprise. In another it might reward people who may have done a lot of bad things, and puts them in a legitimized position of power over people they may have been terrorizing for decades.
quicklyfrozen 6y ago
I think society was a little different then. People had a shot at changing their life and switching to legitimate work. That's not really possible any more; once you have a felony arrest, you've got a black mark against you. Low-level jobs that might be willing to hire ex-cons don't realistically pay enough to support someone. I'm not saying we shouldn't legalize drugs; I'm just saying any such policy change should also include some help for individuals to move away from that life or they'll more-or-less be forced into other illegal activities.