Legalizing marijuana in California might not stop Mexican drug cartels, but stopping the politicians could be good enough!

Legalizing marijuana in California would not put much of a dent in the issue of violent Mexican drug cartels that smuggle marijuana across the border, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Taking money, influence and power away from such cartels is one of the selling points of Proposition 19. The November ballot initiative would legalize possession of up to an ounce of marijuana by those over 21. Another selling point has been the ability of local governments to tax sales, thereby raising hundreds of millions of dollars in much needed revenue. However, as cities and counties continue to waste valuable resources on banning marijuana dispensaries and throwing other hurdles in the path of California’s legal medical marijuana industry, our Los Angeles medical marijuana attorneys are more and more convinced that one of the biggest benefits to legalization would be breaking the spell the issue has had on amateur politicians throughout Southern California.

Instead of looking to fix the real problems within their community, they are too often worried about who is smoking weed. The absurdity would be laughable if it weren’t for the fact that it is costing these communities millions of dollars to wage a fight that doesn’t need won. The most likely outcome is that cities like Los Angeles will succeed in decimating the marijuana retail infrastructure necessary to take advantage of the biggest tax haul since the creation of the lottery.

The report by the Rand Corp. of Santa Monica reports that legal marijuana could replace Mexican marijuana sold in California, but that it would account for no more than 4 percent of the revenue received by gangs from the drug trade. Only if California’s legal marijuana were sold across the country could it have a major impact on the cartels — a scenario the study found unlikely.

As we reported recently on our Marijuana Lawyer Blog, it is that concern about the impact legalized marijuana in California could have on the rest of the nation’s illicit drug trade that could spur government action under federal drug laws.

Comparing Mexican drug cartels to the American mafia after prohibition, the report also contends that the cartels would find other ways to make money.

The CANNABIS LAW GROUP offers experienced and aggressive representation to the medical marijuana industry in Southern California– including growers, dispensaries and collectives, patients and those facing marijuana charges. Call 949-375-4734 for a confidential consultation to discuss your rights.