California's Prop 19 Breaks the Drug War

by John M. Curtis
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Copyright Sept. 7, 2010
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            Two months before California voters rule on legalizing marijuana through voter initiative known as Prop 19, the Mexican drug cartel is beginning to get nervous.  Over 60% of estimated revenues come from marijuana sales north of the border.  Legalizing pot would substantially reduce the Mexican mafia’s stranglehold on marijuana sales inside the state and U.S. When California’s Compassionate Use Law, known as Prop 215, passed in 1996, it dealt a blow to the Mexican drug trade, offering marijuana smokers with medial need an opportunity to obtain the most pure organic California-grown marijuana.  While ironic, Prop 19’s biggest opposition comes from Northern California’s boutique pot growers supplying medical marijuana to over 1,000 collectives or dispensaries around the state.  They worry that mass agricultural businesses could wreck their current monopoly.

             Opposition to Prop 19 stems from misguided ideas originating from the 1938 government propaganda film “Reefer Madness,” chronicling the evils of pot smoking, leading to addiction, violence and criminal behavior.  Fourteen years of medical marijuana in California proves otherwise, with no increase in auto or work-related accidents, loss of productivity or any other adverse side effect.  Whatever the pros and cons of pot smoking, both medically or recreationally, Prop 19 promises to generate tax revenues for cash-strapped California.  While some have estimated over $2 billion in tax revenue from legal marijuana sales, the taxes collected will be more than the untold millions, possibly billions, earned by the Mexican drug cartel.  Legalizing marijuana also keeps prisoners out of the justice system, saving around $100,000 a year to incarcerate non-violent marijuana-related cases.

            White House officials would be pressed to reclassify marijuana should Prop 19 pass Nov. 4.  Still regarded as a dangerous narcotic, the Drug Enforcement Agency still bans marijuana use and sales on the federal level.  To prevent Prop 19 from running afoul with current drug laws, the DEA would be forced to redefine federal drug laws.  “It’s a fundamental debate,” said former Mexican President Jose Calderon.  “You have to analyze carefully the pros and cons and key arguments on both sides,” showing more flexibility about possibly supporting reform of current marijuana laws.  Mexican officials are looking carefully at what happens in California before passing national laws that legalize marijuana sales.  Reducing drug trafficking and cross-border violence would go a long way in reducing crime in the border states.   Most experts expect legalization to usurp drug-dealers’ profits.

            California’s 14-year experiment with medical marijuana proves that pot-smoking doesn’t lead to more dangerous drugs or more auto or work-related accidents.  Prop 19 restricts marijuana sales and cultivation to individuals at least 21-years-of-age.  Data shows that medical marijuana didn’t result in a substantial increase in pot smoking.  Past pot smokers continued to use, while some marijuana users actually preferred alcohol and other illicit drugs.  Legalizing marijuana promises to end the monopolies of Northern California’s growers or the Mexican drug cartel.  Both stand to lose when large agricultural businesses move into to currently empty vineyards, avocado and citrus orchard to begin planting what promise to be California’s biggest legal cash crop.  Pot smokers currently using medical-grade organic marijuana may have a hard time settling for non-prescription-grade pot.

            Apart from what one thinks about the merits of marijuana, legalization helps reverse the runaway spending by the California prison system, the second largest line-item next to education in the state budget.  Emptying the prison population of marijuana-related offenders should save state taxpayers untold billions.  Together with taxing marijuana sales, the saving from state prisons should help reverse the current budget deficit running about $20 billion.  No one thing can balance the California budget except reducing the current whopping 12.4% unemployment rate.  Generating tax revues off marijuana sales and saving prison expenses is a good first start before the employment picture turns around.  With all the cuts in state services, voters look for ways to help the beleaguered California budget.  Old arguments about the dangers of marijuana don’t hold much water.

            California’s Prop 19 could help start a revolution around the country.  Conservative voters, especially seniors, turn out in greater numbers in midterm elections, promising to keep the legalization vote close.  As responsible seniors get close to the Nov. 4 vote, they’ll have to look practically at what they can do to reduce the state’s massive budget deficits.  Responsible voters can’t sit idly by while the state slashes the Department of Motor Vehicles, state universities and colleges, community colleges and K-12 education.  Prop 19 offers hope to generate possibly billions in tax revenues and save the state untold billions in wasteful prison spending.  Legalizing marijuana could help break the Mexican drug cartel, currently usurping the state of tax revenues from marijuana sales.   Given the state’s poor financial health, “Reefer Madness” can’t prevail this time at the polls.

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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