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Alcohol prohibition was a completely different dynamic. It's repeal opened the door to drug marketing. Legalizing pot, etc, will only drive the mobs to different markets.
Get an intervention.
What,
specifically, are these "other markets" you have been indoctrinated to believe are right there, somewhere, just waiting in patient reserve for marijuana prohibition to be repealed so the trafficking cartels can just step in and switch them on?
Again --
specifically, please.
No one is waiting for prohibition to be repealed. Organized crime is moving right along with their diversification.
What we are seeing is an huge increase in spice. They call it synthetic Marijuana. It is very cheap, a baggie is only a dollar.
Heroin is more popular than ever. Some sellers cut their product a lot. Some sellers charge more but the user doesn't need as much. Used to the heavily cut, the user overdoses.
Kidnapping is growing in popularity. A couple of guys can do a dozen ATM kidnappings in a day. Cartels can do more sophisticated kidnappings and get businesses to pay off. Girls however can be sold.
By far, next to drugs, sex slavery is the most lucrative. Bringing women illegally into the country to use as prostitutes. The cartels are awaiting legalization of prostitution to tie up that little stray thread. Hotcha!
Free of prior arrest has allowed the innocent cartel members to open up legal pot outlets. It's someplace for the cartels to sell their product. When the police do figure it out the pot shops are selling pot, heroin, meth and anything else you can think of including ketamine and of course, guns.
You think the legalization of pot is going to hurt the cartels?