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Marihuana users... read this, please.

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A

Asimov

Banned
My American friends. First, let me start with some background.

I'm from Mexico and I live in the border with Texas. I have a B1/B2 Visa, so I get to go Texas almost 3 times per week for shopping (it's like 10 minutes away from my house). I also work for a multi-national company and I get to travel a lot, specially to the USA (I will go to NY in May and LA in June). So, I'm very used to the American culture. I have tons of friends in the USA too and I have traveled to different states in the country (more than most Americans).

And I think the USA is a great country. I really do.

But there is one thing I don't like about it. Most people in the USA are really not aware of the problems of the rest world. The First World Problem meme is indeed real. And I don't blame you. You live in a great country with a lot of diversity and culture and sometimes is not really necessary for you to learn things from other countries, other languages, etc.

My country is facing one of their times in history. The drug war has killed thousands and thousands of people (mostly bad guys) but a lot of innocent people has died too. We always had problems with cartels, but innocent regular people was never worried about them. But everything changed a few years ago (around 2009) for two main reasons: our then President Felipe Calderon was the first one to truly declared war to the cartels and two cartels( the Z and Gulf Cartel) became enemies (they were allies before).

So, the violence increased. A lot. They started sending messages each other by killing gang rivals (behading, hanging them in bridges, etc). And a lot of innocent people has died since then (collateral damage).

The problem is not in all Mexico, but I would say around 40% or 50% of the country is in danger and the rest in safe. But the border is definitely the most dangerous zone. And you know why?

The border is extremely valuable for the drug cartels. They want easy access to the USA. They want control of the territory. All this killing, all this terror, is just for drugs and money. They want your dollars.

Look, Mexico is really not a big consumer. I don't think it is a lucrative market for them to sell small quantities to junkies in the country. They earn money by selling industrial quanitites to the USA.

Just read this:

Mexico, a major drug producing and transit country, is the main foreign supplier of cannabis and a major supplier of methamphetamine to the United States. Almost half the cartels' revenues come from cannabis.Although Mexico accounts for only a small share of worldwide heroin production, it supplies a large share of the heroin distributed in the United States.

Drug cartels in Mexico control approximately 70% of the foreign narcotics that flow into the United States.
Click to expand...
Analysts estimate that wholesale earnings from illicit drug sales range from $13.6 billion to $49.4 billion annually.
Click to expand...

It's a $50 billion dollar business and half of that money comes from cannabis.

Don't get me wrong. I really think that marihuana is way more safe than tobacco or alcohol. But it is illegal. And every time you buy marihuana, you are basically giving money to the cartels. Those dollars could have purchased a bullet that killed an innocent person.

Now, I obviously don't expect you guys to stop smoking pot, but read about the problems my country is facing just because of the drug cartels.

And don't get fooled by your dealers. 95% of the people I tell all this, they tell me the typical "I don't smoke that Mexican shit... blah blah... I just smoke this organic USA pot grown by friendly American hippies". More than 70% of all the drugs in the USA are from Mexico.

If only one person stops consuming pot because of this, it will be enough for me.

And when weed becomes legal in the future and it doesn't come from drug cartels, I will buy a kilo of it and I will smoke with you, guys. But until then, I will not.

Thanks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Drug_War

http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2013/04/01/are-mexicos-drug-cartels-behind-chicagos-insane-bloodbath/
 
C

commedieu

Banned
well.. Caifornia did our part. we legalized it. Im sure it cuts down on some of the Zeta's profit, but its still a drug border.

I'll hve you know I buy all my pr80 from locals.

edit; American Problems.

Unfortunately, local problems trump the problems in mexico. Mexico's own people have allowed teir country to be taken over by drug cartels. Allow might be a bad word, but the general consensus I'd imagine, is that Mexican's allowed corruption to override their nation. Where would you find sympathy from people with that view?

America has the luxury of turning a blind eye, because we still have luxuries. Dwindling as they may... but are still distractions. In our own country, we have people dying of starvation and gang violence.

What do you see us doing about that? The answer is nothing, and its hard work and dedication to pull yourself out of any mess you're in. Thats the american way, it doesn't translate well to america, and surely not mexico.

Sorry.
 
D

Dreams-Visions

Member
Asimov said:
I'm on my cellphone. Sorry.
Click to expand...
You wrote all that from your cell phone? That's fucking commitment.

Also, I think most are aware of the ongoing cartel issues. That awareness won't stop people from wanting to get high, and they really don't care who their weedman is getting his supply from.
 
C

CountAntonius

Member
This is why even as a non smoker I was angry at the California proposition to legalize it didn't pass. All of the pot smokers i know prefer the stuff bought from shops grown up north cause it's better than the stuff smuggled over however if that's hard to come by they will buy the stuff from Mexico and support the drug cartels. At the end of the day they wanna get high and don't care where it comes from sadly.
 
Hari Seldon

Hari Seldon

Member
Even if you want to legislate on morality and not logic and statistics, the only moral choice you have with weed is to legalize it in order to reduce the killing and bloodshed. Americans realized this with prohibition, but I guess since the violence is over the border or in ghetto areas of cities, we don't care these days.
 
L

Lucario

Member
More than 70% of all the drugs in the USA are from Mexico.
Click to expand...

This isn't true -- the figure was around 50% three years ago, and it's been dropping as states decriminalize and dispensaries open. If you're buying a strain, it isn't from Mexico.

Cocaine, however, is almost entirely from the Cartel trade.

EDIT: noticed you said 'drugs' not 'marijuana'. Still not true.
 
X

xxracerxx

Don't worry, I'll vouch for them.
Asimov said:
And every time you buy marihuana, you are basically giving money to the cartels. Those dollars could have purchased a bullet that killed an innocent person.
Click to expand...

This depends solely on where you live/buy from. This is probably true if you are living in the midwest/south, but living in the Pacific Northwest I bet dollars to donuts it is almost all locally grown.
 
C

Chichikov

Member
Your country should just legalize that stuff, I have no idea why you are willing to turn your country into a war zone just because they US wants to have a war on drugs.
What causes the violence is prohibition, just like it did when alcohol sale was prohibited, and much like during prohibition, only ending that ban will reduce the violence associated with the black market.

But either way, pot will be legal in the states in a decade and most of that shit will go away.
 
C

commedieu

Banned
Asimov said:
Besides...Marihuana is the Spanish word. Sorry for the mistake.
Click to expand...

Hear that non-travel-stay-in-apartment-go-usa-ass gaf? Its spanish. Now how do you feel? I hope the god of Evilore's metacoversations haunt you all.


Lucario said:
This isn't true -- the figure was around 50% three years ago, and it's been dropping sharply since as states decriminalize and dispensaries open. If you're buying a strain, it isn't from Mexico.

Cocaine, however, is almost entirely from the Cartel trade.

EDIT: noticed you said 'drugs' not 'marijuana'. Still not true.
Click to expand...

Yeah but they bust boats of pot, more often than they do coke. The profit on weed s almost 99%. I imagine thats their cash cow.
 
B

Bombadil

Banned
I know some dudes that grow their own weed in a closet space they set up with foil covering the walls and a heat lamp on for much of the day.

It sucks that people who buy pot without knowing where it's from will thoughtlessly defend their actions without thinking about who it affects.

Some of my friends also have medical marijuana cards and they didn't get those by legitimate means.
 
M

MightyHedgehog

Member
Eh, expecting a ceaseless appetite for something to end is pointless and solves no problems. Drug policy set by our government and then pushed to others around the world is the issue. Always has been.
 
ReadingRambo

ReadingRambo

Member
Chichikov said:
Your country should just legalize that stuff, I have no idea why you are willing to turn your country into a war zone just because they US wants to have a war on drugs.
What causes the violence is prohibition, just like it did when alcohol sale was prohibited, and much like during prohibition, only ending that ban will reduce the violence associated with the black market.

But either way, pot will be legal in the states in a decade and most of that shit will go away.
Click to expand...

They don't make their big bucks selling to Mexicans. USA has to make it legal for the trade to become insolvent.
 
C

CornBurrito

Member
You typed that all on a cell phone? You have earned my respect. Just for that, I won't buy any weed.

I don't smoke weed anyway.
 
C

CountAntonius

Member
Chichikov said:
Your country should just legalize that stuff, I have no idea why you are willing to turn your country into a war zone just because they US wants to have a war on drugs.
What causes the violence is prohibition, just like it did when alcohol sale was prohibited, and much like during prohibition, only ending that ban will reduce the violence associated with the black market.

But either way, pot will be legal in the states in a decade and most of that shit will go away.
Click to expand...

No what causes the violence is that Cartels fight over the money made by being the middle man between south american drugs and american money. Has nothing to do with Mexico's drug use.
 
G

gravitybear

Member
I agree with your post 100% and think the US legalizing marijuana would do more to stop the mexican drug trade than any kind of military action.

The only question though, if we did that, is what would they replace it with? They have the traffic lines and infrastructure - would they just start importing cocaine and heroin? If so, would they have as many buyers as they have for marijuana?

Either way, nice post. I agree with you that too many americans are myopic and do not consider consequences of their actions. Buying weed from anywhere except colorado or washington state right now literally directly supports drug cartels and fuels civilian mexican deaths.
 
C

Chichikov

Member
ToxicAdam said:
My weed comes from Canada and Kentucky.
Click to expand...
So you're supporting socialism and Ashley Judd.
You're worse than the Nazis.
CountAntonius said:
No what causes the violence is that Cartels fight over the money made by being the middle man between south american drugs and american money. Has nothing to do with Mexico's drug use.
Click to expand...
I was talking mostly about American drug laws (and drug prohibition in general), but again, I'm not sure why should Mexico fight those people (instead of taxing them) because politicians in the US don't want people to smoke pot, if I was Mexico I would pretty much tell the US to go fuck itself and try to catch them on American soil if they must.
 
J

jim-jam bongs

Member
macuser1of5 said:
I don't smoke that Mexican shit... I just smoke this organic USA pot grown by friendly American hippies
Click to expand...

tumblr_m4smpscPFW1rniotro1_1280.jpg
Click to expand...

From sea to shining sea.
 
C

commedieu

Banned
Either way OP, I think posters have covered the issue. Those that can, buy drugs from American sources. Those that can't? Will buy drugs no matter where. But legalizing is happening.

Appreciate the OP, considering you did this on your phone. We are trying, but the USA has a bullshit war on drugs to please the religious nutters here, and people that are fine with prescription drugs killing more than illegal addiction combined. These people are fine with the drug war and waste of resource. You should talk to them.
 
F

Fenderputty

Banned
.GqueB. said:
OP is saying grow your own basically and I agree.
Click to expand...

Kinda risky unless you live in a state that has med cards.

I feel sympathy towards the OP's plight and would love for the US to legalise, but expecting American's to stop using because of Mexico's problems seems pretty silly to me. American's don't stop using with the threat of a fellony and possible jailtime over their own heads.

EDIT: This is a great docu on the suject of the drug war

http://www.breakingthetaboo.info/

More stuff like this needs to be seen by American's before things get done.
 
Trojita

Trojita

Rapid Response Threadmaker
If you're from the North East / East Coast I highly doubt even 30-40% of the cannabis is from Mexico.
 
A

AlexBasch

Member
MexicoGAF represent.

It's my main issue with drugs really. I don't give a shit if someone likes weed or proclaims to be a stoner and whatnot, it's the fact that the earning of buying drugs go exactly to the economy of drug cartels that have harmed my country and people near me.

Heck, I know guys who complain about narcos and not being able to drive at night because of the fear of being killed, kidnapped or beheaded, but still go on and on that they enjoy their weed and sometimes cocaine. Seriously?

I even cut ties from a workgroup I had because two or three of them smoked pot kinda regularly, and you don't want to be associated with people who buy drugs that often and in big quantities.

I'm up for legalization and cutting the money to those motherfuckers. Alcohol and tobacco are already legal and I barely touch one and never do the latter anyway. Just be responsible to where you get your weed, people. If you grow your own plant and smoke it, by all means, enjoy it. Just don't hand over your money to some shady guy who is financing death for people over the border.
 
F

freenudemacusers

Member
gravitybear said:
Either way, nice post. I agree with you that too many americans are myopic and do not consider consequences of their actions. Buying weed from anywhere except colorado or washington state right now literally directly supports drug cartels and fuels civilian mexican deaths.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but marijuana does not disintegrate when it crosses state lines.
 
I

I H8 Memes

Member
Hey nobody forced Mexico to be Americas lap dog in this thing. Maybe you should work on getting your own politicians to not bark on command of U.S. politicians.
 
C

commedieu

Banned
gravitybear said:
I agree with your post 100% and think the US legalizing marijuana would do more to stop the mexican drug trade than any kind of military action.

The only question though, if we did that, is what would they replace it with? They have the traffic lines and infrastructure - would they just start importing cocaine and heroin? If so, would they have as many buyers as they have for marijuana?

Either way, nice post. I agree with you that too many americans are myopic and do not consider consequences of their actions. Buying weed from anywhere except colorado or washington state right now literally directly supports drug cartels and fuels civilian mexican deaths.
Click to expand...

They can't replace it. There is no demand for non-weed that will bring in the profit that weed is bringing in. Either they will participate legally, with legal streins that can compete with american quality, or they will just sit around missing the glory days.

Its like when I did web design back in 2000. You could do websites for 4500/weekened with just static pages. THose days are gone, we all still make money. Just different ways, and not as luxurious as before.
 
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