> Let's start by saying that marihuana is just one of the products that cartels sold and represents a miniscule part of the earnings since the 80s.
As of a 2007 report, it was estimated that marijuana contributed up to 60% of cartel revenues [0].
> According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, drug proceeds in Mexico in 2005 ranged from... $3.9 billion to $14.3 billion for marijuana... Mexican drug traffickers also grow marijuana in the United States; therefore, the amount of proceeds returned to Mexico is likely greater than the reported estimates.
> Adding up the midpoints for each range, the total would be roughly $15.5 billion, though we note there’s a wide disparity in the marijuana estimates.
This portion has likely decreased substantially with increasing legalization of marijuana in the US, but it was not minuscule by any standard. The drop in revenue has pushed cartels to other income stream (e.g. avocado protection rackets) [1].
> Cartels not only sell marihuana, cocaine and pills, they control human trafficking, prostitution, oil robberies, kidnapping, etc.
I think of cartels as companies whose product is criminal activity. Drug prohibitions make it possible to overcome the initial hurdle needed to build such an organization, but once established it will seek to diversify revenues and adapt to changing markets by offering new services. While legalization of drugs would likely cut cartel revenues, it would not entirely eliminate them.
Ok, you are not accounting that war against drugs started in 2007 specifically under Felipe Calderón so that report is outdated. The activities that I mentioned specifically oil robberies started after it and that generates way more than marihuana. There is an ongoing case from Pemex against few companies in Houston buying stolen oil. You should look it up
> Ok, you are not accounting that war against drugs started in 2007 specifically under Felipe Calderón so that report is outdated
Alternative sources all appear to be contemporary to that report. I’m happy to consider other data, but I’m hesitant to give Calderón’s policies the benefit of the doubt, given the dramatic increase in cartel violence [0] under his tenure and his solicitation of bribes from cartels while in office [1].
> The activities that I mentioned specifically oil robberies started after it and that generates way more than marihuana
Oil theft in Mexico cost Pemex $1.5bln in 2016 [2]. Assuming cartel revenues from marijuana have fallen 50% since 2007, oil theft revenues would still need to grow 3x to rival those from marijuana.
As of a 2007 report, it was estimated that marijuana contributed up to 60% of cartel revenues [0].
> According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, drug proceeds in Mexico in 2005 ranged from... $3.9 billion to $14.3 billion for marijuana... Mexican drug traffickers also grow marijuana in the United States; therefore, the amount of proceeds returned to Mexico is likely greater than the reported estimates.
> Adding up the midpoints for each range, the total would be roughly $15.5 billion, though we note there’s a wide disparity in the marijuana estimates.
This portion has likely decreased substantially with increasing legalization of marijuana in the US, but it was not minuscule by any standard. The drop in revenue has pushed cartels to other income stream (e.g. avocado protection rackets) [1].
> Cartels not only sell marihuana, cocaine and pills, they control human trafficking, prostitution, oil robberies, kidnapping, etc.
I think of cartels as companies whose product is criminal activity. Drug prohibitions make it possible to overcome the initial hurdle needed to build such an organization, but once established it will seek to diversify revenues and adapt to changing markets by offering new services. While legalization of drugs would likely cut cartel revenues, it would not entirely eliminate them.
[0] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/06/24/do-mexica...
[1] https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2019-11-20/mexico...