Today's story @ HuffPo:
"In Ciudad Juarez, investigators said two men found dead Tuesday – one of them decapitated – might have been involved in the birthday party massacre Friday night. A note left with the bodies accused the men of killing women and children"
"Gunmen killed 15 people at a car wash Wednesday in a Mexican Pacific coast state where drug-gang violence has risen this year. It was the third massacre in Mexico in less than a week."
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This is the 3rd cartel massacre I've heard about in the last week. Recently a 21 yr old girl took the position of police chief in a border city. Politicians and the bodies of law enforcement are rountinely discovered, tortured and beheaded. This is like Scarface and Hostel come to life, and this is what our world is turning into because of Prohibition. It is simply immoral.
Most of the people here that are against Prop 19 are against it simply because they fear that wholesale prices will drop. They will tell you that it's because it's flawed in one way or another but the truth is that they are opposed to legalization in ANY form. Their complaints are weak points at best and are just red herrings, a fig leaf presented to hide the ugly truth.
The ugly truth is that they are part of the machine that they, and all of us, despise on one hand and participate in on the other. And at this point opposing legalization efforts becomes distinctly immoral IMO, akin to someone who opposes the abolishment of slavery because the slave trade is how they feed their family. It is the same untenable position that big Pharma, big alcohol, and the private prison industry face.
I'm going to ask you, those who oppose Prop 19, to do something courageous. I'm going to ask you to have faith that it will be ok and that your fears are simply that and nothing more. I'm going to ask you to have the courage to do the right thing, to try to improve society.
Politics is about compromise, and this is especially true concerning MJ. Full legalization, or the "perfect bill" in the eyes of the MJ friendly is wholely unpalatable to the nuetral general population who support is required for ANY measuer to pass. They want assurances that the market will be regulated and language that specifically protects kids by punishing those that would furnish to kids, etc. The "perfect bill" for us would never have the support to pass. A "compromised" bill is the only way - and this is analagous to MMJ being used as a pathway to legal recreational MJ. Prop 19 is not "the end", it is the beginning; specifically, the beginning of the end to Prohibition.
Concerning the viability of being a grower if Prop 19 passes: Wholesale prices have lost much of the black market premium in CA, while remaining intact on the east coast, not because of closet growers with 5x5's but because of huge outdoor grows. It's not millionaires and corporation doing this. Price ARE trending lower but it's commercial growers who are doing this, along with other states getting MMJ - specifically CO. The only way to ensure your piece of the pie, is to band together and REGULATE yourselves as a commercial enterprise.
My expectation is that prices will increase in the short term after Prop 19 passes due to increased demand and stable supply. Supply will remain stable IMO because of the remaining risk of federal prosecution (as USAG Holder stated) for any commercial mega-warehouse grows. Someone would have to be crazy to try that. Most recreation consumers will have no interest in investing in the startup costs and time commitment required to get past the learning curve to grow good weed. For those that do, how many 5x5's does it take to equal just one 100lb outdoor grow? But the biggest reason is that those who want to grow are probably growing already. Demand in CA will soar in the short-term for a number of years due to 3 reasons: MJ tourism, diversion - people taking/sending it out of state to their own black markets, and pulling a certain amount of consumption away from the alcohol market.
The economics of competition are unavoidable whether restricted to MMJ or legalized recreation use. It is simply fruitless to oppose legalization based on the belief that it will hold back competition. It accomplishes nothing except to give ammo to the Prohibitionists who would like to continue to put users in cages because they don't appreciate cannabis.
So please, have faith. Do the right thing and feel good about yourself. Vote YES on Prop 19!
YES we cannabis!
