Colorado’s criminals who’ve been using and dealing marijuana, back when it was illegal, have an altogether different set of problems now. With pot sales quasi-legal, some problems were expected – – – some not.
(You may take issue with that statement, yet you’d be wrong; they’re still criminals; it’s still against federal law to possess and/or deal dangerous drugs!)
In an article in the Ney York Times, Serge Kovaleskijan brings to light a few; I offer a couple more. Serge points out the “take” for one day’s pot shop was $51,321 which is pretty lucrative, but there’s an unseen ‘downside’ to it, as well.
It all has to be in cash – the banks have said “NO!” to customers using credit cards, debit cards, etc. … and, they still await confirmation from federal officials – a green light would be nice, but it still wouldn’t set things in stone. Things can always change. (Some recommended this policy be instituted temporarily, … if only to lure many of these criminals out into the open.) Bottom line [for them] though, is: problems originate when large cash deposits automatically alert (flag) the fed’s compliance division.
The banks are too nervous and fear losing their lucrative business. So it looks like it’ll all remain – transactions in all cash!
In and of itself, that, makes the pot shops very vulnerable. Federal rules and regulations for banking were designed to expose illegal activities! Well, it’s gotten attention! Without a doubt, doing business only in cash will bring a unique set of problems to this “business” — it’s likely they’ll be seen as an ‘easy mark’ by other criminals!
Possibly stronger at first, but the pot user’s “naturally enhanced” proclivity toward paranoia may hasten their use of armored car services, body guards but there’s another interesting aspect — additional criminals are sure to be migrating quickly, to Colorado.
Before all this violence becomes too much for Colorado’s city residents demand a return to – re-criminalization, or the feds flip-flop, these greedy entrepreneurs want to make as much as they can.
Meanwhile, they’re hiring former Special Ops military personnel, potentially turning Colorado’s “Old West Clock” back a century and a half! In some form, Shootouts @ the OK Pot Shops seems to be in our future!
Make no mistake about it – pot is still illegal federally! Because of international treaties it’ll stay that way. It’s just that our shifty, beady-eyed Atty. Gen. has deemed that officials will “look the other way” — for now, at least. The citizenry and law enforcement agencies will bear the brunt of the coming violence.
Under a subsequent administration, the pendulum may very well swing back (even with a vengeance), as has happened historically around the globe, whenever drug permissiveness like this, has raised its ugly head.
Law abiding citizens tire of the increased, unforeseen societal costs along with the inevitable inner-city deterioration that follows.
At the very least, even if the feds don’t revert to enforcing the already existing laws …… once the state recognizes the hidden social costs of ‘legalization’, they’ll most likely at least, opt to establish a regressive / sumptuary (a.k.a. “sin”) tax on the weed.
If, it remains quasi-legal for long, it’d be hard for the feds to not follow suit.
Even more dangerous though, is the immediate threat — that the south-of-the-border drug cartels may decide to send “hit teams” against these pot shops, rob the owners, pull home invasions or possibly just kidnap them or their loved ones …. greed and vengeance can get ugly!
Some libertarians call all this … “a grand experiment” …
Temporarily, it’s a boon to alarm and surveillance companies, soldiers of fortune, and some potential criminals – but in the long run, much more is at stake; it’s much more than that!
Josiahe's Blog 