The $30B or so spent annually on “The War on Drugs” would provide health care coverage for a lot of folks.

It would also put quite a few people out of work should the transition be made.  Not saying it wouldn’t be worth it, but the interests involved are quite entrenched.

...but the interests involved are quite entrenched.

Which is one reason it’ll probably never happen. But I think it would be a good thing.

Glad to hear Humbolt’s business is doing well.

But recent changes in state laws that allow the use and cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes are giving U.S. growers a competitive advantage, challenging the traditional dominance of the Mexican traffickers, who once made brands such as Acapulco Gold the standard for quality.

Almost all of the marijuana consumed in the multibillion-dollar U.S. market once came from Mexico or Colombia.

That is pure unadulterated bullshit.

Maybe in 1965, but the underground marijuana market here in the Emerald Triangle has been around for decades providing locally grown, high quality weed to those who wish to smoke it. We have plenty of ambiguous “drug cartel” statements following busts, and yes, the huge gardens are normally controlled by outside interests, whether Mexican, Colombian or whomever, but Humboldt, Mendocino and Trinity counties have been growing and selling their own weed for decades.

That’s primarily true for you lucky devils on the West Coast.  We may get the stomped-on two year later version from the Emerald triangle that is aged to mid-grade by the time our lips touch it.  But here on the East Coast the Mexicans are thuroughly entrenched in the Mexischwag.  Maybe if you and your northwestern brothers in Canada would share the seed it would open the markets more.  But primarily I agree with your comments, as the cartel and their influence are greatly overstated.
On a similar note things we’re seeing are the Mexicans are moving their operations into the states growing here exclusively.  They will get snagged as they are not the most adept at remaining inconspicuous when procuring materials.  They’ve already started getting out of the Weed business and are jumping all over the low hanging fruit of Meth production in Mexico.

People still smoke Mexican pot? Why?

People still smoke Mexican pot? Why?

Its simply not a buyer’s market in my little Northeastern rural locale.  Unless you’ve managed to develop some better connections like myself, you’re smoking what your guy can get, and that’s usually dry Mexican brick weed.  A lot of the more occasional smokers…pfft, hobbyists…don’t have the time or are simply nervous about cultivating better pot connections.  Here in NH, the cops are all too happy to throw your ass in jail, and if you’re holding an ounce, you’ve just earned yourself a felony conviction.