The New El Chapo? Understanding the Implications of the Legalization of Marijuana for the Drug Seller and the Hidden Drug Economy By Kevin Alejandro Molina A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Manitoba in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS Department of Sociology and Criminology University of Manitoba Winnipeg © 2019 by Kevin A. Molina Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... vi Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 The Outline of the Study .......................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 1 ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Constructing the New El Chapo: A Social History of Marijuana ............................................ 6 The 1920s and 1930s: The Creation of the “Raving and Raping Drug Maniac” ............ 8 The 1940s and 1950s: The Creation of the “Criminal Addict” ..................................... 12 The 1960s: More Punitive Legislation and the Rise of the Counterculture Movement 15 The 1970s: Neoliberalism and the New Right .................................................................. 19 The 1980s: The Creation of the “Super Predator” .......................................................... 22 The 1990s: Organized Crime and the Hidden Drug Economy ....................................... 25 The 2000s and Medical Marijuana .................................................................................... 28 Harper and “Tough on Crime” Policies ........................................................................... 30 2018 and Beyond: The Legalization of Recreational Marijuana.................................... 32 Concluding Remarks .............................................................................................................. 36 Chapter 2 ..................................................................................................................................... 38 Methodology ................................................................................................................................ 38 Standpoint Epistemology........................................................................................................ 38 Ethics Approval ....................................................................................................................... 40 Sampling and Recruitment .................................................................................................... 41 The Interviews ......................................................................................................................... 43 Data Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 44 Concluding Remarks .............................................................................................................. 45 Chapter 3 ..................................................................................................................................... 47 They’re Just Like Us: Challenging Public Discourse .............................................................. 47 First Name: Drug Seller, Last Name: Gang Member ......................................................... 48 Who are the Drug Sellers? ..................................................................................................... 52 The Dynamics of Selling Marijuana and the Marijuana Market....................................... 53 Marijuana Culture ................................................................................................................ 53 From the Seller’s Eye: What the Market Looks Like ............................................................ 56 Marijuana vs. The Market of Harder Illicit Drugs ............................................................... 58 i Competition and Relationship with other Sellers and Suppliers .......................................... 61 Why Sell? ................................................................................................................................. 63 Maintaining the Lifestyle ...................................................................................................... 64 Free Smoke, Free Smoke! ..................................................................................................... 64 Compensating for the Inadequacies of the Legitimate Market ............................................. 65 “I Don’t do it for any Kind of Profit”................................................................................... 69 Selling as a Business ............................................................................................................. 70 Quality over Quantity ........................................................................................................... 73 Rejecting the “Drug Dealer” Label: “I just sell weed, man.” ............................................. 74 Risks and Concerns When Selling ......................................................................................... 77 Coming into Contact with Police .......................................................................................... 78 Encountering Violence .......................................................................................................... 80 Risking Freedom ................................................................................................................... 82 Concluding Remarks .............................................................................................................. 87 Chapter 4 ..................................................................................................................................... 89 The Implications of Legalization: .............................................................................................. 89 “It’s a Crap Show! Definitely Going to Use My Dealer From Now On” ............................... 89 In Comes Legalization: To Sell or not to Sell ....................................................................... 89 “There Will Always be Weed on the Streets” ...................................................................... 92 Concerns in the Wake of Legalization .................................................................................. 97 View Your Cart: The Impact of the Online Market ............................................................ 99 The Creation of a Grey Market ........................................................................................... 102 Goodbye Marijuana, Hello Crystal Methamphetamine, MDMA, and Prescription Pills? ................................................................................................................................................. 105 Concluding Remarks ............................................................................................................ 107 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 109 Limitations of the Study ....................................................................................................... 111 Concluding Remarks ............................................................................................................ 112 References .................................................................................................................................. 113 Appendix A ................................................................................................................................ 123 Gatekeeper Recruitment Script ........................................................................................... 123 Appendix B ................................................................................................................................ 124 Verification of Honourarium ............................................................................................... 124 Appendix C ................................................................................................................................ 125 Informed Consent Form ....................................................................................................... 125 ii Appendix D ................................................................................................................................ 128 Interview Schedule ................................................................................................................ 128 Appendix E ................................................................................................................................ 130 Resources ............................................................................................................................... 130 Appendix F ................................................................................................................................ 131 Study Closure Form