What would happen to the USA if we ended prohibition right now?

[Kasz216]

snyps said:

My understanding of Amsterdams illegal drug trade is limited to knowledge of selling illegaly to nonresidents. I've never heard of amsterdam's purity laws, i tried googling it and found nothing, but assuming you're correct. That would be a niche market and crime, especially violent crime, would drop. Does Amsterdam have gangsters and thugs and turf wars? That's the whole point of ending prohibition. Making the streets safe again!

What decided the prices of marijuana in washington and colorado? They're the same as they were on the street. The street prices then are the deciding factor. What basis do you have for cocaine being 5-10 dollars a pure gram? There's more involved than just manufacturing cost there's; shipping, book keeping, lawyers, many many employees and of coarse the ceo is gonna wanna get filthy rich right? He's gonna squeeze as much as he can for himself. They are going to sell as high as they can get away with and do so legally because it's better.

Yes. The whole point is getting the money out of the hands of killers and thugs........by making them into legitimate business men. Like i said, they would be first in line at the SOS building getting licensed. They wouldn't hire killer anymore, instead they'd be recruiting college grads. There would be no point in killing each other over profit because they could use the court system if there's a problem. There'd be contracts... and so on and so forth. Just look at the end prohibition in the 30s, it worked! Organized crime was severely damaged because the smart ones went and became legitimate entrepreneurs.

So in order for a U.S. business to buy from a foreign producer, the producer would have to demonstrate that they are a good and moral capitalist firm, correct? Well gee, if that's not giving an incentive to turn things around and join hands, then I don't know what is...

A) Your understanding is wrong. There is still plenty of crime involved... and that's just pot with it's low crime margins.  Just look up "soft drug" crime statistics in the netherlands.

Additionally, Amsterdam NEVER had gangsters and turf wars.   That's sort of the thing people miss in those arguements Amsterdam would have far lower violent crime rates with or without drug legalization. 

Meanwhile Property crime in Amsterdam saw a huge increase after legalization .   Marijuana shops tend to be magnets for property crime, which coincidentally is why cities have greatly reduced the number of shops they allow in the netherlands.

 

B)  Because that's how cheap cocaine is.  Cocaine is ungodly cheap.  It's cheaper to produce than a 2-liter of soda.  Though thanks for listing a bunch of things that raise the price of legal drugs that illegal drug dealers don't have to deal with like book keepers and lawyers and actually having to pay people decently. 

Cocaine black market prices will just keep getting cheaper.  So your talking $5-10 a gram, OR the black market is back and as strong as whenever at whatever level we decide is the bottom rate cocaine can sell for.

Like I already explained, Cocaine, crack and drugs like that are far cheaper than drugs like Marijuana.

If you'll note.  Cocaine is illegal in Amsterdam and pretty much everywhere. 

 

As for the prices in Washington in Colorado you realize NOTHING has been implmented in either state yet right?  It's a little early to be talking about this like it's some miracle that's worked when it hasn't even started yet.

Meanwhile, it's worth noting that in 2011 there was actually a huge crash in Marijuana prices.

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-great-marijuana-crash-of-2011-2013-9

Look at just how small a profit margin is on that Marijuana.  However, Cocaine?  Cocaine's profit margins are outrageous.

 

C)  Prohibition is actually not the comparison you want to make.  During Prohibition, do you know how all those illegal bootleggers sold their product?  Pharmacys.  Pharmcists were allowed to perscribe booze to whoever, so while staying illegal, gangs bought a bunch of pharmacys as a front to sell their booze.

Outside which, mobs did not become legal when prohibition ended, they did not just the workforce, and they are still around today.  Nor did removal of prohibition kill the mob.  What REALLY killed the mob was the federal authorties deciding to finally take action.  They basically stopped taking bribes.

Gangs might own legal storefronts, but only as a front for their illegal drug buisness.  Which is conincedntally why states that have legal marijuana have deep background checks.

Now if we're talking full country legalization, I don't see a bunch of MS-13 gang members in suits beating out Venture Capitalists and Phillip Morris when it comes to the legal game.

D)  Or they can just sell drugs, illegally and make more profit, and not have to worry about a bunch of shit.  Oh yeah, and they can still act like paramilitary organizations and gain power that money just can't buy.  If money was all that mattered, all these fuckoff dictators like Mugabe, Assad and the Saudis would all give up being dictators and live it up in Europe or the US... these guys already have way more money then they'll ever personally need.

 

Also, you know.  It's not like foreign governments are going to be like "Oh you guys want to be legal buisnesses now, all the murders and slavery and illegal activities are all forgiven!  Since it's for the US!"