Thursday, January 24, 2013

Laura Chinchilla Thinks Marijuana Legalization Threatens Costa Rican Security

English: Photograph of Laura Chinchilla Mirand...
Laura Chinchilla Miranda  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Costa Rica's President, Laura Chinchilla, is attending the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. There is a story on the wire that she is "concerned" about the trend toward legalization of marijuana in the U.S., Colorado and Washington State having just legalized possession of it. The article also cites the growing number of U.S. states with medical marijuana laws. The article implies that somehow this trend is a threat to the security of Costa Rica.

With all due respect to La Presidente, I think she has it exactly backwards. People in CO and WA states will be growing their own plants or obtaining the bud from state licensed outlets.

Marijuana plants growing in pots

I have serious doubts that doctors and states will be buying baggies or bricks of marijuana from Mexican cartels. It's the cartels who should start to worry, methinks. The demand for their illegal product will be impacted negatively.

If I was a severely cynical person, I might surmise that the real concern of the C.R. government is a reduction in the flow of bribes to them from the Colombian cartels passing their drugs through Costa Rica. But, let's not go there!
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4 comments:

  1. That's ridiculous. I think you are right about the real reason - profiting from criminal activity.

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  2. If she wants to worry about something concerning marijuana, she should start in her own back yard. I walk a lot here and can not remember the last time I walked anywhere in Costa Rica and did not smell marijuana from people (mostly very young people; many in their school uniforms) walking past me or as I walked past small groups just standing around smoking it in public. There is no concern at all for any laws against the use of marijuana by the Ticos.

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  3. Your observations are dead on. Our Presidenta is very good with photo ops. Beyond that, I have seen nothing substantial. Well, there ARE the street signs in San Jose at last, though perhaps that wasn't her doing. The bottom line on the so-called "war on drugs" is that the "just say no" side LOST. Face reality, Madame President. Face reality, DEA. YOU LOST. Drug use is bigger than ever. Drug violence is worse than ever. MAYBE the fearless leaders need to open their eyes and tiny brains and deal with reality. Is that too much to ask? Well okay, I suppose it is. sigh

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  4. I hope that Laura Chinchilla and all the people of costa rica see that the only way for a society to really prosper is to have drugs legal and for us to be allowed to grow a sacred plant of god. This plant is a medicine and healer and that it is illegal in most countries of the world shows that the battle on our freedom still is here. Let the truth find a way and the heart of Laura Chinchilla and all other leaders of the earth open to real change and start by giving us our god given freedom to grow and take what we will in our own bodies.

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Thanks so much for your comment! - Casey