Banning marijuana stores in your community supports organized crime

Whenever cannabis is legalized in a state, you will always hear from counties and cities that “reject the approval of cannabis dispensaries”. For example, approximately 71% of New Jersey cities have chosen not to have recreational pharmacies in their jurisdiction.

This is nothing new, as Edmund DeVeaux, president of the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association, told USA Today that it has even happened in Colorado and California.

After a few months, or in some cases years, they start to sing a different tune – especially since cities that allow adult cannabis stores tend to do better economically.

In today’s article we will examine the motivations behind these bans, the unintended consequences and how these “anti-drug warriors” actually support organized crime.

Why are counties and cities not using recreational cannabis?

While the vast majority of Americans support cannabis, according to most polls, the people who take the polls and those who occupy seats on city or town councils are made up of different fabrics.

These so-called “leaders” believe that if cannabis is legally available for sale in their jurisdiction, it is an endorsement of drug use. They stick to the ideas that were sustained by the drug war that cannabis is a dangerous drug, that it is a gateway drug, that they don’t want to let stoners run around, that they protect their children, etc.

We have heard all of these old arguments over and over again – and unfortunately many of the people who hold these local positions are subscribed to this mindset.

Not only do they drink the Kool-Aid, they ask for seconds!

One of the main arguments in favor of these judgments is that they “want to protect the children”. However, by not allowing adult-only cannabis dispensaries to operate within their limits, children are in fact exposed to the illegal cannabis.

We’ll talk more about this later.

Adult pharmacies don’t mean anyone can just walk through the doors and buy weed – you must comply with state laws, which means you must be over 21 and have valid ID.

If you don’t have this, the pharmacy would be legally prohibited from selling cannabis to you. In fact, pharmacies are more motivated NOT to sell to minors than liquor stores, simply because of higher social scrutiny.

Conversely, if you remove cannabis dispensaries from the equation, the gray market and black market traders have the full market share of recreational sales. An opportunist could easily drive to a city that sells cannabis, buy it – and then raise the price in the “no-go” space.

We have seen this repeatedly in states that legalize and in neighboring states that still have a ban on the books.

In the vast majority of cases, all of the reasons for banning cannabis dispensaries in a county or city stem from misconceptions about cannabis, projected fears of non-cannabis users, and an ongoing stigma surrounding cannabis use.

How to Sponsor Organized Crime by Not Allowing Pharmacies

We have already touched the base of gray market traders – people who legally buy cannabis and then resell it to those who cannot buy it in their neighborhood.

However, other actors who absolutely love it when counties and cities ban cannabis dispensaries are organized crime like cartels and gangs. Prohibition creates a highly profitable market for these illegal traders who don’t care whether you’re twelve or forty – as long as you have money to sell.

When they sell drugs illegally, they usually have other drugs available as well. This means that not only do you expose children to street vendors, but you also have a wider choice of illegal drugs.

Similarly, cartels and other criminals tend to be very territorial when it comes to drug trafficking. So, by eliminating legal outlets, you are only increasing the likelihood of criminal activity and violence in a particular area.

This is a lesson we learned from the alcohol ban, which only escalated dramatically in the war on drugs.

Thus, the whole purpose of banning cannabis dispensaries becomes counterproductive and even exacerbates the negative consequences that these “local leaders” are trying to avoid

The ban on pharmacies is contrary to the will of the people

New Jersey residents voted to legalize recreational cannabis. When local leaders forbid access to legal purchases from these policies, they are misrepresenting the people.

Unfortunately, there is never much interest from activists in joining the city council or council, which means the dinosaurs remain as gatekeepers.

Why they all bring the pharmacies with them after all

While most New Jersey cities have moved out of pharmacies, most of them will be overturning their decisions in the next five years. This is because efforts to ban a substance never worked!

You can ask God how successful they were in forbidding Adam and Eve to eat a fruit in the middle of a garden.

However, it is usually the financial incentive that motivates these executives to get the cannabis dispensaries. When they discover that the nearest city to legal cannabis sales is benefiting from additional tax revenue, they are forced to set up pharmacies.

How can you speed up the process?

If you live in a city or county that has banned cannabis dispensaries for some reason – the best way to fight power is to become power.

I have long been an advocate of “lawyers” to get interested in local politics. If you allow the ancient dinosaurs to rule – they will follow the status quo.

If you want to change something where you live, get involved and run for office or chairmanship on your local council. Yes, it is a bit of extra work, but you will actively help shape the area you live in and if there are enough cannabis users around you – it would be more than enough to beat anyone who opposes you.

Join in, change the rules – you are the power!

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