The results of this are entirely unpredictable, as far as I’m concerned. Some good, some bad.
First, the price of pot will likely decline; whatever taxes are anticipated from the legalized trade in pot are likely to be overstated. It may be true that fewer law enforcement resources will need to be brought to bear upon what would no longer be a crime, but it is really stetching the bounds of credulity to think that police departments would ever admit that.
We’ll have a load more doped-up drivers on the road. This will probably increase insurance rates for everyone.
I just don’t find it credible that anyone can predict the outcome of legalizing the type of pot use this proposition advocates.
I don’t think this bill will reduce the price of marijuana. I do not smoke it, but have it on pretty good authority that the price of Marijuana has remained steady since the passage of the Medical Marijuana bill. You can go to any clinic and get MMJ and you will pay the same price in any one of them.
How is it that when you increase competition, and remove the black market element from it, that the price continues to remain high and appear practically collusive? Because the majority of the trade continues to be supplied by the black market, namely, large criminal gangs that illegally grow Marijuana.
It is a contradiction in terms to “legalize MJ” and yet not allow the growth, distribution and sale of it. Nevertheless the MMJ bill enabled it so that some places doing business by some name can sell MMJ to some people who got a permit from some doctors. Very arbitrary and convoluted.
So now Prop 19 comes along to allow MJ to enter the full stream of commerce, and solely for the purpose of raising taxes off it. Yet it has virtually no provisions for the growth of MJ, the distribution of MJ, and/or the licensing of places that may sell it. This, the bill leaves to the municipalities with the exception that anyone can grow MJ plants on a 25 sq ft parcel of their own land or in their own closets.
That will not have any meaningful impact on price because it is not likely that people are going to start growing MJ let alone grow it successfully and in quantities that will rival commercial black market growers and smugglers. Furthermore, the first person to receive a permit from his/her city to grow large quantities of MJ will likely be the target of either the Federal Government, or more likely, a hit man from one of the large gangs that currently control the wholesale MJ trade.
I don’t think Prop 19 is the right bill. The motives are wrong, and offers a Machiavellian proposition to the people who want MJ decriminalized. Does the state need money? Yes. Does that justify allowing criminal gangs to sell their wares in 7-11 so we can tax it? No.
Those are some areas this will affect.
But there is one I came across that is frankly scary.
Phoenix is the kidnapping capital of the US. And Mexico has a huge problem with this. So, how does Prop 19 play into this?
How about that the drug cartels won’t care if the pot profits disappear, they will just move up to kidnappings instead. They may do this in time, anyway. But Prop 19 just might make that come on the scene that much earlier.
YIKES!!!