Will Legalizing Marijuana Create Modern Bootleggers?
Marijuana seized by the U.S. Coast Guard in San Diego in May 2014.
Credit: Coast Guard News/Creative Commons
States that have legalized marijuana are contending with a new criminal tactic — smugglers who grow and process it for export to states where it’s illegal and worth a lot more.
Colorado is the epicenter of the phenomenon, although it’s popping up in Oregon and Washington too. Now as Maine, Massachusetts and Canada consider legalizing recreational marijuana, the question arises — will the Northeast see a wave of new-age bootleggers?