A report on whether Prop. 19 will reduce Mexican drug cartel violence.
Transcript
ONE OF THE MAJOR ARGUMENTS MADE BY SUPPORTERS OF PROP 19 TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA IN CALIFORNIA IS THAT REGULATING IT WILL REDUCE MEXICAN DRUG CARTEL VIOLENCE. OFFICIALS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BOARDER SAY THEY DOUBT REGULATION WILL LIMIT CARTEL VIOLENCE BECAUSE MARIJUANA IS JUST ONE OF THE DRUGS SMUGGLED BY THE CARTELS.
THE SUVS ROLLED QUIETLY DOWN THE STREET, JUNE 3 YEARS AGO.
I WAS JUST SIMPLY SITTING ON MY COUCH AND MY FATHER WALKED UP TO ME AND SAID LOOK OUTSIDE, LOOK OUTSIDE, AND THERE WAS SWATLY.
HE LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND THEY SWAT TEAM HAD THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET SURROUNDED, SIX MEN CAME OUT THE FBI FREED A 32-YEAR-OLD BUSINESSMAN, HE HAS BEEN HELD FOR RANSOM FOR EIGHT DAYS. LOS, POLIOS, KILLED NINE PEOPLE AND DISSOLVED TWO BODIES IN ACID, THEY SMUGGLED IN METHAMPHETAMINE AND MARIJUANA FROM MEXICO.
RICHARD LEE IS A, MARIJUANA ACTIVIST. THE STRONGEST ARGUMENT IS TO END THE VILLAGES IN MEXICO. YOU KNOW IT'S WORSE THAN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN, THEY ARE BEHEADING PEOPLE.
2800 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED THIS MEXICO SINCE THE PRESIDENT LAUNCHED A BATTLE AGAINST CARTELS THREE YEARS AGO. HIS CRACK DOWN IS HUMAN. HUGE. THE DRUGS COME HIDDEN IN EVERY PLACE YOU CAN THINK OF. BABY STROLLERS, HEAVY MACHINERY. A BIKE FRAME, TAPED TO U.S. TEEN TEEN-AGERS. MARIJUANA IS JUST ONE OF THE DRUGS THAT ARE SMUGGLED IN. MEXICAN CARTELS USED TO PROVIDE MOST OF THE MARIJUANA IN THE U.S. IT WAS A CASH CROP BUT THAT HAS CHANGED. THERE'S A LARGER INCREASE IN MANUFACTURING OF METHAMPHETAMINE IN MEXICO, THAT METH NOW CONSTITUTEDS 80% OF WHAT IS SEIZED.
A RECENT STUDY SHOWS THAT LEGALIZING MARIJUANA IN CALIFORNIA WILL MAKE THE PRICE DROP BY 80%. THAT MEANS LESS PROFIT FOR CARTELS THAT MEANS LESS PROFIT MEANS LESS TRAFFICKING AND NO VIOLENCE, ARGUMENT GOES. BUT OFFICIALS SAY THAT LEGALIZING MARIJUANA IN CALIFORNIA WILL NOT HAVE A SIZEABLE IMPACT ON THE CARTEL'S POCKET BOOKS.
THE REALITY IS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO LEGALIZE THE USE OF MARIJUANA THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES OR SEVERAL SIGNIFICANTLY SIZED STATES TO HAVE AN EFFECT.
PROP 19 WOULD NOT TOUCH THE MEXICAN CARTELS PROFITS FROM OTHER ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES. HEROIN, METH, GUN RUNNING, WHATEVER, THEY WILL FIND WAY TO DO IT. MEXICAN DRUG GROUPS MAY HAVE FOUND A WAY TO PROTECT THEIR MARIJUANA TRADE. THEY ARE GROWING MARIJUANA ON PUBLIC LANDS, THAT WAY THEY AVOID HAVING TO SMUGGLE IT IN. PROP 19 WILL CREATE A BIGGER MARKET FOR THIS MARIJUANA. SOUTH OF THE BOARDER HOWEVER THE PRESIDENT WORRY THAT IS PROP 19 COULD INCREASE PRESSURE ON THE BOARDER.
THEY WILL MAKE IT STRONGER TO TRY TO PUT MARIJUANA AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BOARDER AND THAT WILL COSTA LOT OF LIVES AND PEACE.
TIW A ANA HAS MADE PROGRESS IN CONTROLLING THE DRUGS. 320 LIVES HAVE BEEN BLAMED TO DRUG VIOLENCE OFFICIALS WORRY THAT AN OPEN MARK FOR MARIJUANA IN CALIFORNIA WOULD DEPRESS MARIJUANA PRICES THAT MEXICAN CARTELS WILL NOT RISK SMUGGLING THEM IN THEY WILL TRY TO SELL MORE IN THEIR COUNTRY. THEY HAVE MORE DRUG ADDICTS AN ANY OTHER CITY IN MEXICO. WHATEVER THE DECISION BAHA AND CALIFORNIA SHOULD MAKE IT TOGETHER.
IT CAN'T BE MADE IN ISOLATION.
U.S. OFFICIALS SAY ULTIMATELY SOMEBODY NEEDS TO DO A COST BENEFIT ANALYZE OF LEGALIZING MARIJUANA.
PEOPLE AND AUTHORITIES NEED TO START ANDING THIS, BECAUSE THE CURRENT STRATEGY IS NOT ACHIEVING THE END GOAL OF REDUCING VIOLENCE AND REDUCING FLOWS AND CONSUMING OF GOODS.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL ENFORCE FEDERAL DRUG LAWS EVEN THE PROP 19 PASSES IN CALIFORNIA. IN A LETTER OBTAINED BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER SAID THAT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT STRONGLY OPPOSES THE PROPOSITION.
