As recently as 2016, reports have indicated that legal cannabis markets are eroding the Mexican cartel’s profits. Mexican growers complain about the reduced American demand and the lowering of prices that followed. Indeed, it seems that quality is one of the key factors that is leading people away from Mexican cannabis, despite the much lower price.
Meanwhile, legal American markets continue to thrive. Revenues in 2018 closed in on $10 billion, which is just shy of revenues reported by fast food giant, Taco Bell. Each year, more states come aboard with legal medical and adult-use markets and total legal revenues are expected to redouble by 2023. This projection would eclipse the NFL’s $15 billion annual earnings, and will still be only a third of the estimated $55 billion total demand (including criminal market demand) for cannabis.
It seems as though politicians are becoming increasingly educated on this topic as well. Pressure for marijuana reform is growing not only among American citizens, but also among policy makers themselves. In fact, Illinois became the first state to have it’s legislators push for legalizing adult-use. Safe banking would have huge positive impacts on this young industry and de-scheduling of THCTHC is the most famous cannabinoid and is psychoactive. TH... rich cannabis would be a boon to the medical field. Such reform would allow much needed American medical research into the effective use of cannabinoids as a therapy.
This author is very convinced of the validity of legal medical access to cannabis. However, data such as that seen above also paints a picture that supports legalization in the broader sense. We know that regulated, legal sales are much safer for the public than dealing with the criminal market and it’s untested products. That fact alone is hard to ignore, not to mention the fact that criminal organizations are having their bottom line cut as well. Perhaps the author’s attitude is shifting as well.
What are your thoughts?
I do wholeheartedly agree that the legalization of cannabis and rescheduling from the list of narcotics will take the influence of cartels away from American Society by hitting them where it hurts most; their pocketbooks.
However, I also believe that at the same time, our criminal justice system needs to be seriously overhauled. The war on drugs from the 80s has had such a profound cultural impact on our minds that it seems to be a struggle to unlearn the worldview.
So much to the point that even now with majority of states choosing cannabis reform, law enforcement seems to struggle with the approach. I think much of this can be solved by maintaining open dialogue in our communities about the realities of our neighborhoods.
In my humble opinion