A new study has shown that the legalization of marijuana in different states has reduced drug smuggling and made the Southern U.S. border safer. This research was conducted by the Cato Institute.
The Cato Institute analyzed data on how much marijuana has been seized by Border Patrol agents over time. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regularly releases statistics about the different drugs that have been seized at the different ports of entry into the country.
The analysis shows that over a period of five years, the quantity of marijuana smuggled has reduced by a whopping 78 percent. Similarly, the amount of marijuana seized by each Border Patrol agent has reduced by an average of 70 percent.
Colorado and Washington were the pioneers of marijuana legalization, and there are nearly a dozen states that have now ended the prohibition of marijuana. Many more are set to follow suit in the coming years as ballot measures and legislative action is already in advanced stages in several states as this year ends.
The Cato analysis is timely since it comes at a time when the White House is pushing hard for the construction of a wall on a large section of the border with Mexico. In fact, disagreement over the border wall even caused a partial government shutdown that is still ongoing.
The analysis of smuggling data shows that building a wall at the Mexican border isn’t likely to reduce the rate (and quantity) of the drugs smuggled into the U.S. Remember, the number of Border Patrol agents was dramatically increased between 2003 and 2009, but the CBP seizures data didn’t show any decline in the per-agent marijuana seizures. Only legalization has resulted in such a reduction since most consumers are more comfortable buying their cannabis from regulated sources instead of taking a chance with the smuggled substance for which no quality controls are implemented.
It is also worth remembering that the U.S. government constructed hundreds of miles of border fencing at about the same time when it doubled the CBP workforce, but there was no change in the data on smuggling. It may therefore be reasonable to expect that the wall may not fare any better since the real reason for smuggling (the lack of legal marijuana in some states) hasn’t been addressed.
As for the different marijuana industry players like Plus Products Inc. (CSE: PLUS) and Phivida Holdings Inc. (CSE: VIDA) (OTCQX: PHVAF), the Cato research is yet another piece of evidence that marijuana legalization has so many direct and indirect benefits.
More from CannabisNewsWire
About CannabisNewsWire
CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.
To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)
For more information please visit https://www.cannabisnewswire.com
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer
CannabisNewsWire (CNW)
Denver, Colorado
www.cannabisnewswire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com
