Marijuana is no longer the low quality brownish-green low quality product in the 1960 through the late 1990s, filled with stems and seeds. Today we are dealing with high quality strains of marijuana that have very high levels of THC. Marijuana is also no longer being illegally imported from Mexico in the same large quantities as it once was, as it is being grown in indoor hydroponics operations right here in the United States.
The author of the article met with a street lieutenant of a Mexican gang, which was founded in Texas prison and made millions, beginning in the 1980s, by smuggling marijuana in from Juarez to the United States. While this still occurs, he is now talking about the hottest new strain of marijuana on the Juarez drug market, and it is being grown in America.
This drug lieutenant actually went to Arizona to see the grow operation in person and was amazed at what he saw. He describes a highly technical process, where oxygen is delivered directly from tanks, and light and water is supplied automatically via an electronically controlled system to make the perfect strain of marijuana. He said his customers are now asking for these American grown cannabis products being sold at dispensaries in the States. He said the price for this is marijuana is much higher. He can get Mexican grown marijuana for 50 pesos a gram, but this costs him around 200 pesos for the same amount. He said with the high price comes much higher quality, and his customers are willing pay the markup.
However, on average, federal drug enforcement officers in the United States say this is having a devastating effect on the Mexican drug cartels. While that may seem like a good thing at first, Mexican drug lords are allegedly finding other ways to make money with their existing infrastructure and distribution networks in place and have turned to selling heroin to Mexican drug users.
As our Los Angles medical marijuana attorneys can explain, with medical marijuana now allowed in 23 states, it seems like federal law enforcement should be getting out of marijuana enforcement for other reasons, such as the fact that a majority of the American public now supports legalization of marijuana and an even larger majority supports legalization of medical marijuana.
It is not only Arizona that is growing this high quality marijuana. There is, of course, high quality marijuana being grown in California as well as Colorado. Some international investors hope to take some of these strains of marijuana and give them a globally recognized brand. However, the international export of marijuana would be another issue altogether in terms of federal and international regulations.
The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients and those facing marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.
Additional Resources:
With weed now permitted in some form in 23 U.S. states, the flow of cannabis out of Mexico has slowed and, to a degree, reversed , June 3, 2015, Bloomberg
More Blog Entries:
Clearing Record of Prior Marijuana Arrests, Convictions, April 7, 2015, California Medical Marijuana Lawyer Blog