[cwkoss]

Violence related to drugs is mostly caused by prohibition. If we decriminalized these drugs, we'd eliminate the price premium that can be commanded from secrecy and use of force.

I watched a really great lecture online that was about how everything that rich countries criminalize (primarily prostitution and drugs) ends up becoming powerful industries in poorer countries because the demand from rich countries persists and creates a price floor higher than normal economically productive work in those poor countries. If rich people want something and it's banned in their country, it becomes an extremely profitable endeavor in poorer nations to meet this demand. Because profit margins are greater than normal economic activity, this enables criminal to gain political power within those countries. The speaker had a name for this idea which I can't remember, something like "hedonic exportation" - if anyone knows what I'm talking about I've been looking for this lecture for a few years.

[tathougies]

> Violence related to drugs is mostly caused by prohibition

The rising violence rate due to the marijuana trade in California (and other states) does not agree with your made up reasoning. Although, in principle, I agree that your reasoning ought to make sense. Unfortunately, my principles and empiricism are often at odds, so it's best to side with the latter.

[dragonwriter]

> The rising violence rate due to the marijuana trade in California (and other states) does not agree with your made up reasoning.

It actually does, because federal prohibition has not been lifted (even though there is non-assured enforcement forebearance).

The fact that anyone in a significant ownership, leadership, or management position in any business in the industry is technically guilty of a federal felony with a 20-year minimum sentence (and, just by being sufficiently successful, that can bumped up to a life-without-parole minimum) [0] has a fairly substantial impact on the willingness of otherwise legitimate businesses and businesspeople to participate in the industry and thus on what kind of business people do participate, even when the feds aren't actually prosecuting at the moment.

[0] the “drug kingpin” (formally, Continuing Criminal Enterprise) statute and it's later-added “super kingpin” provision.

[cwkoss]

Also, much of violence is related to legal marijuana businesses being unbanked. Large amounts of cash always attract crime.

[dragonwriter]

> Also, much of violence is related to legal marijuana businesses being unbanked

Right, except for the critical fact that there are no legal marijuana businesses, that is certainly an important effect of the continued federal prohibition.