In the last few decades, marijuana was illegal in all counties. As such, the dollar that got acquired through the sale of the drug obviously was pocketed by a criminal gang, an organized crime, a local mafia or by a cartel. It is due to this reason that it got referred to as a gateway drug. However, marijuana is a gateway drug in all circumstances. Doctors in all parts of the world, usually use marijuana as a way of getting off hard drugs.
If there can be the countrywide legalization of marijuana, the cartels would remain to be strong. There is an argument that legalizing marijuana would deny the murderous cartel some of their source of profit. Given that this is a significant source of income of some criminal gangs legalizing it would means they must improvise their ideas. In some of the states where marijuana got legalized the organized crimes have turned into other activities. The groups may then involve themselves in other criminal activities to protect laundry business as well as protecting their money. In this case, the cartels will remain flexible. For instance, they may diversify into human trafficking, kidnapping as well as protecting other crime (Caulkins, Jonathan Paul et al. n.p). Besides, the criminal gangs are said to be selling heroin, cocaine as well as meth which have high profits. It is unfortunate that legalizing the drug will not hurt them as it would be hoped.
Another effect is that there would fewer records of criminal cases. Legalization means that there would be a reduction of criminal instances clogging courts. Around 2006 and 2008, about 45% of the cases involved marijuana cases. In that case, it staggers waste of resources toward law enforcement (Albanese Jay n.p). As a result, people remain to be scared of something that is argued to have less adverse effects than alcohol.
Works cited
Albanese, Jay S. Organized crime in our times. Routledge, 2014.
Caulkins, Jonathan P., Beau Kilmer, and Mark AR Kleiman. Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know®. Oxford University Press, 2016.
Caulkins, Jonathan Paul, et al. Options and issues regarding marijuana legalization. Rand Corporation, 2015.
