Monday, May 10, 2010

Press Release: DEA's Senate Testimony Shows Legalizing Marijuana Would Hurt Cartels

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 10, 2010
CONTACT: Tom Angell - (202) 557-4979 or media//at//leap//dot//cc

DEA's Senate Testimony Shows Legalizing Marijuana Would Hurt Cartels

Pro-Legalization Police Group Supports California Ballot Measure

WASHINGTON, DC -- A group of police officers, judges and prosecutors who support legalizing marijuana is pointing to new congressional testimony from the FBI and DEA as evidence that the government's marijuana prohibition policy actually helps -- not hurts -- drug cartels.

Appearing before the U.S. Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, representatives for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration testified last Wednesday that "marijuana is the top revenue generator for Mexican [cartels]—a cash crop that finances corruption and the carnage of violence year after year. The profits derived from marijuana trafficking—an industry with minimal overhead costs, controlled entirely by the traffickers—are used not only to finance other drug enterprises by Mexico’s poly-drug cartels, but also to pay recurring 'business' expenses, purchase weapons, and bribe corrupt officials."

The pro-legalization police group, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), believes that if California voters approve the marijuana legalization initiative on this November's ballot the Mexican drug cartels will lose a huge source of revenue.

"By legalizing, regulating and taxing marijuana, California voters can ensure that the Mexican drug cartels who control the currently-illegal market will no longer be able to fund a bloody drug war with profits from marijuana sales to Californians," said Russ Jones, a LEAP speaker and former San Jose narcotics detective who is just one of dozens of California law enforcers actively supporting the initiative. "As a cop, I saw how prohibition doesn't prevent anyone from using marijuana but instead allows murderous gangsters and thugs to collect huge riches, just like during alcohol prohibition. It's time to put these criminals out of business with legalization and control."

The full FBI/DEA testimony can be read at http://www.fbi.gov/congress/congress10/perkins050510.htm.

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) is an international organization representing police, prosecutors, judges, FBI/DEA agents and others who want to legalize and regulate drugs after fighting on the front lines of the "war on drugs" and learning firsthand that prohibition only serves to worsen addiction and violence. More info at http://www.CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com.

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12 comments:

  1. Nice, legalization its the best way to eliminate the drug cartels, at least there are some sectors of the police opening their eyes!!!!

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  2. There is now way it will be legal until the representatives stop taking cash from the cartels to keep is legal!

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  3. It is nice to see certain law enforcement officials seeing the truth behind marijuana prohibition. Yet, they act as if this is a a ground breaking find when in actuality it is just common sense

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  4. Addiction therapy is indeed needed by these victims of substance abuse. The earlier help they attain the swifter they can get rid of the vice. But if some of these prohibited substances will be legalized, crime rates and the like will increase. Everyone can be randomly in danger.

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  5. This is probably the most common sense thing I have read all day. Of course legalizing marijuana would hurt drug cartels. Who would choose to pay sketchy, illegal drug dealers when they can go to the store and buy a pack of marlboro greens?

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  6. good let them lose the money and us gain money from rightfully selling and taxing it

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  7. Love the trolls! They don't have a clue!

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  8. The reason the US fed gov refuses to legalize it is because it provides countless millions for covert CIA operations. Read http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ciadrugs/dontblink.html

    Also worth reading is http://tinyurl.com/1mn and tinyurl.com/potconviction (and tinyurl.com/waronminorities and tinyurl.com/gov74 )

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  9. Nice, another win for legalization. It's about time we got our deserved natural freedom back.

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  10. If only every person in the world would follow all the rules that you gave... I think that everyone should come and visit your website
    Sato Printer

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  11. I don't think that it should be legalized at all. If we leagalize this, where will it end? Sure we leagalized alcohol, but now we have friggin' drunk drivers who don't give a F* about anyone. Yea, great idea. Lets face the facts, people want to do whatever they want, but be free from the consequences.

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  12. Hate to break it to you, but people drive high on all drugs, not just the legal ones. Keeping it illegal means that a high person won't think twice about driving high, since they're already getting busted for possession if they get pulled over. And what consequences do you speak of? If you mean the natural negative consequences, there are very little. If you mean the arbitrary, illogical legal consequences, then there is no good reason for these artificial consequences to even exist.

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