No, You seem to be ignorant on the realistic side of illegal narcotics. I still haven't seen anyone post the answer to my original question: 'What are the addicts going to do during the transitional period of illegal to legal?' And no Goldenboy, "Do drugs of course" isn't gonna get it for a logical answer.
Here is a more realistic way this would work:
drugs become legal, part 1:
Coca: purchase of raw materials/manufacturing starts, legit companies, corporations buy raw coca leaves directly from farmers unions in Bolivia, and Peru (and pay more than the pittance the farmers currenty receive), Mexican cartel cannot interfere here since they are not in these countries, nor will they know which cargo containers going through Mexico (if in fact they even go through Mexico, and not via boat)) are loaded with coca leaves, or processed cocaine. No Mexican Cartel boogeyman able to interfere anywhere yet,
-Mexicans still smuggle in and sell their processed cocaine since there is no US supply yet- addicts still have their fix.
Opium: Drug companies use existing legitimate supplies of opium from India and elsewhere,and expand into other regions (you do know there is already supplies of opium completely independent of the black market already right? - all the stuff our morphine, and oxycodone, ect.), and begin purchasing from other locations, including Afghanistan. again, no Mexican Cartel boogeyman here. there is a Taliban presence in Afghanistan, but who knows what the future will hold there, too bad this is not already in place, what better way to starve them of revenue and influence over the Afghan people, especially since we have our Army there to deal with them.
regardless.. Opium, again no mexican Cartels where our supply would come from, and since there is no way legal way to get the drugs yet, the black market supply is still there for the addict.
drugs become legal part 2: The legitimate companies process and manufacture the raw materials into drugs, no cartels needed nor welcome here. They then transport the manufactured drugs to prepare for distribution, again even
if for some reason this involved shipping through Mexico, the Mexican cartels have no way of knowing which cargo containers have drugs, so again no Mexican boogeyman here.
Of course the addicts still cannot get their fix from a legal source yet, and naturally those in the drug trade will still peddle their goods so long as the opportunity is there, so they still have supply to their fix.
phase 3: distribution of legal supply begins, and now the addicts have a choice, buy drugs of a known purity legal from a legit source, or continue to buy from the black market source. (taking this a step further, an addict should have an option for a free fix at a clinic where there are trained counselors that would see them regularly).
there will be no disruption in the supply, the black market will be there until it is starved out by competition. Also there is no conceivable way for the Mexican cartels to influence the legal trade, they are not where the raw materials are grown, and they won't be involved in purchasing/manufacture, transport, or distribution either.
I always think the worse when it comes to the heavy narcotics business.
