Being able to legally produce the cocaine and have the state's protection, open access to financial and labor markets available would no doubt fucking revolutionize the cocaine industry. It'd be the biggest thing to happen to cocaine since crack!
For example, with it legal the local police and/or military would protect your shipments within Colombia's borders instead of seizing or destroy them... for free!
I've heard something like 50% of illegal drug shipments are lost/stolen/seized by the time they get to their destination market... and it's still wildly fucking profitable to produce. Imagine being able to produce it cheaper, safer, and faster-- then cocaine becomes the rest of the world's problem. It'll push the violence out of Colombia and into the markets where it's being bought and financed... inverting the grip of terror. I hope they do it and I hope it's glorious for 'em.
The rest of the world needs to learn drugs are a health issue at most and never a criminal one. The only criminals are the ones we make...
> Isn't Columbia already the de facto global supplier of cocaine? Not of just the American market, but the... global ~~supplier~~ market.
I'm not a drug expert, but I seem to recall island nations of S. East Asia being a large exporter of cocaine, too. It was on one of those drug Vice series.
Specifically coming from the 'golden triangle.' I'm not savvy enough to know if it was all just synthetic versions of it or simply product from Columbia that is re-packaged/cut for the Asian Market.
Personally speaking, I dislike all amphetamines but some people are equally as addicted to caffeine as they are to cocaine, I've worked in 2 Industries where both are consumed in large quantities on a daily basis. Which is why I personally want nothing to do with them, but if consenting adults are willing to take on the responsibility and we get one step closer to ending all of the cronyist BS that comes from the drug war than I hope it happens.
Especially if it gives subsistence farmers in Columbia a cash crop they can increase their standard of living from and sell in open market trades rather than in some clandestine cartel operation.
> IIRC, neither cocaine or caffeine or amphetamines, they are stimulants, but do not fall under the amphetamine class. :) I could be wrong.
I was speaking in regards to cocaine, obviously caffeine isn't one, but you're right... that was a total misnomer on my part as the Functional group or R-group is completely wrong classification. I'm not sure why I called it that upon review and it seems my lessons from Organic Chemistry are fading these days.
Isn't Columbia already the de facto global supplier of cocaine? Not of just the American market, but the... global ~~supplier~~ market.