A massive drop in value has occurred in the legal marijuana industry, which is euphemistically called cannabis to avoid negative connotations with the harmful weed. After voters were fooled into legalizing pot in many states, the black market has overwhelmed law enforcement and illegal drug sales are now rampant. Legalizing the drug did not curtail the illegal traffic as pot promoters promised. Just the opposite: after making cannabis legal in nearly half the states, unlawful drug activity has only increased.
Oklahoma, where a 2018 ballot initiative legalized only medical marijuana, has become the largest exporter of pot and other drugs to other states, which is prohibited by federal law. With an estimated 7,000 marijuana growers dotting the rural landscape, the putrid smells, chemicals, bright lights, and excessive water use have transformed the Sooner State into a dystopia.
A gangland-style murder at a 10-acre marijuana farm shocked the state last November, with many questions unanswered about how six Chinese nationals got into that business. Court documents allege that the Chinese-born suspect demanded the return of $300,000 he had invested in the pot operation before he started shooting. Despite such rampant criminality, the cannabis industry is undeterred as it promotes a March ballot initiative there to legalize recreational use of the harmful drug. The once-conservative state, which features one of the highest concentrations of churches in the country, is being transformed by this destructive experiment.
Illegal sales of marijuana have caused the bottom to drop out of prices on lawful sales, resulting in billions of dollars in losses to investors. The price of marijuana in Michigan has dropped by 75%, and similar declines in its value have occurred in California as illegal pot-growing continues to dominate the market. California and Oregon are unlawfully exporting their excess marijuana to other states, including Michigan and New York. More than two-thirds of cannabis sales are estimated to be illegal in California and elsewhere. While pro-family Americans can rejoice in the declining profitability of legal marijuana, don’t consider them to be down for the count just yet. We must continue to expose any attempt to legalize the harmful substance.
This post originally appeared at https://www.phyllisschlafly.com/liberalism-and-conservatism/the-bottom-drops-out-on-legal-marijuana/
Phyllis Schlafly