19 ms·

How will this affect the illegal smuggling operations into the US? Probably not at all. If the US legalizes drugs that would bankrupt the drug cartels in Mexico

How will this affect the illegal smuggling operations into the US? Probably not at all. If the US legalizes drugs that would bankrupt the drug cartels in Mexico.

kitcar 17y ago
Probably will have no effect. It should give a small boost to Mexico's tourism business though
dkokelley 17y ago
I agree. The law is really just reflecting unwritten rules already adhered to there. I disagree that legalization would bankrupt the cartels. While a good portion of their operations involve non-essential tasks like smuggling, transportation, and security (and bribes, I suppose), the cartels are in the best position to capitalize on legalization. They have the growing and refining operations down on a scale large enough to support the (supposed) increased demand due to legalization. The smuggling portion of their costs will be substituted with marketing and supply chain management costs.
- dkasper 17y ago
  I think you're right, drug cartels will just become legal businesses rather than an illegal ones.
- scythe 17y ago
  Perhaps, but they would no longer have an incentive to kill people as they were going about it. That's really what we'd like to end. If they had a public presence (which they'd need if they were going to compete in a world of legal weed),they wouldn't be able to commit violent crimes. Hell, they probably wouldn't be as bad as most businesses.
  - alexgartrell 17y ago
    I think you're right from a business perspective. The reality though is that "gang bangers" aren't killing people solely for the benefit of their drug smuggling and distribution operations. It's become a cultural thing, the change you're suggesting would require a total cultural change, which wouldn't happen anywhere near the present day. If you don't believe me, look at the slew of wealthy hip hop/rap artists who get busted with firearms or even for violent crimes. There's no reason for them to do it, but they do it anyway, because it's what they're used to.
    - eru 17y ago
      Rappers don't feel the forces of competition.
- mixmax 17y ago
  The difference is that prices would be driven down. The reason the drug cartels make obscene amounts of money is that they operate a monopoly, which they defend with violence and killings. If the market became legalized other players would enter the market until the profits were driven down to normal levels. And a gram of coke would cost you $1 on the street.
  - njharman 17y ago
    There's little reason to suppose that with legalization the cartels will suddenly stop using bribes, violence and killings to maintain their monopoly. They would be reduced, not crippled. They would move onto whatever was in demand but still illegal, harder drugs, guns, slaves. Nobody with millions and millions of dollars at stake goes down without a fight.
    - dejb 17y ago
      Yes but the difference is their supply of money would be greatly diminished which would reduce their capacity for action. There is no reason to think that profits from 'guns and slaves' would increase. If anything they would decrease. Harder drugs? Than Heroin?
    - uriel 17y ago
      > There's little reason to suppose that with legalization the cartels will suddenly stop using bribes, violence and killings to maintain their monopoly. All of which are illegal, and as such mean extra costs, which would put them at disadvantage with legal competitor. I'm not sure, but I don't think many of the mafia gangs that ran the alcohol business survived the end of prohibition very well, the alcohol industry has been run as a normal business ever since.
      - anamax 17y ago
        > I'm not sure, but I don't think many of the mafia gangs that ran the alcohol business survived the end of prohibition very well, the alcohol industry has been run as a normal business ever since. That's true of large-scale criminal enterprise, but small-scale moonshine continued until the cost of raw materials started to approach the cost of the cheapest hard liquor in stores. Post-prohibition moonshine runs is where/why NASCAR came from.
helveticaman 17y ago
After prohibition, it was the illegal smugglers that became the new businesses that ran the trade. They were notorious for lobbying against mariguana and other drugs' legalization, but, on the bright side, no longer killed people.

How will this affect the illegal smuggling operations into the US? Probably not at all. If the US legalizes drugs that would bankrupt the drug cartels in Mexico.

kitcar 17y ago

Probably will have no effect. It should give a small boost to Mexico's tourism business though

dkokelley 17y ago

I agree. The law is really just reflecting unwritten rules already adhered to there. I disagree that legalization would bankrupt the cartels. While a good portion of their operations involve non-essential tasks like smuggling, transportation, and security (and bribes, I suppose), the cartels are in the best position to capitalize on legalization. They have the growing and refining operations down on a scale large enough to support the (supposed) increased demand due to legalization. The smuggling portion of their costs will be substituted with marketing and supply chain management costs.

dkasper 17y ago
I think you're right, drug cartels will just become legal businesses rather than an illegal ones.
scythe 17y ago
Perhaps, but they would no longer have an incentive to kill people as they were going about it. That's really what we'd like to end. If they had a public presence (which they'd need if they were going to compete in a world of legal weed),they wouldn't be able to commit violent crimes. Hell, they probably wouldn't be as bad as most businesses.
- alexgartrell 17y ago
  I think you're right from a business perspective. The reality though is that "gang bangers" aren't killing people solely for the benefit of their drug smuggling and distribution operations. It's become a cultural thing, the change you're suggesting would require a total cultural change, which wouldn't happen anywhere near the present day. If you don't believe me, look at the slew of wealthy hip hop/rap artists who get busted with firearms or even for violent crimes. There's no reason for them to do it, but they do it anyway, because it's what they're used to.
  - eru 17y ago
    Rappers don't feel the forces of competition.
mixmax 17y ago
The difference is that prices would be driven down. The reason the drug cartels make obscene amounts of money is that they operate a monopoly, which they defend with violence and killings. If the market became legalized other players would enter the market until the profits were driven down to normal levels. And a gram of coke would cost you $1 on the street.
- njharman 17y ago
  There's little reason to suppose that with legalization the cartels will suddenly stop using bribes, violence and killings to maintain their monopoly. They would be reduced, not crippled. They would move onto whatever was in demand but still illegal, harder drugs, guns, slaves. Nobody with millions and millions of dollars at stake goes down without a fight.
  - dejb 17y ago
    Yes but the difference is their supply of money would be greatly diminished which would reduce their capacity for action. There is no reason to think that profits from 'guns and slaves' would increase. If anything they would decrease. Harder drugs? Than Heroin?
  - uriel 17y ago
    > There's little reason to suppose that with legalization the cartels will suddenly stop using bribes, violence and killings to maintain their monopoly. All of which are illegal, and as such mean extra costs, which would put them at disadvantage with legal competitor. I'm not sure, but I don't think many of the mafia gangs that ran the alcohol business survived the end of prohibition very well, the alcohol industry has been run as a normal business ever since.
    - anamax 17y ago
      > I'm not sure, but I don't think many of the mafia gangs that ran the alcohol business survived the end of prohibition very well, the alcohol industry has been run as a normal business ever since. That's true of large-scale criminal enterprise, but small-scale moonshine continued until the cost of raw materials started to approach the cost of the cheapest hard liquor in stores. Post-prohibition moonshine runs is where/why NASCAR came from.

helveticaman 17y ago

After prohibition, it was the illegal smugglers that became the new businesses that ran the trade. They were notorious for lobbying against mariguana and other drugs' legalization, but, on the bright side, no longer killed people.