Marijuana legalization forces Mexican drug cartels to pivot

While cannabis remains federally illegal in the U.S, a growing number of states have moved to legalize the drug for recreational use, as Arizona did in 2020.

Now, a new report published by InSight Crime finds that the growing legalization of cannabis in the states is impacting organized crime groups in Mexico. The report says these groups are shifting away from marijuana, once a staple in their business, to synthetic drugs like methamphetamine. And the impacts of that are vast.

To learn about the report, The Show spoke with Parker Asmann, a reporter with InSight Crime and project manager of this investigation.

More stories from KJZZ

• Some women are turning to marijuana to help with perimenopause
• Judge rules in favor of Sonoran activist fighting to ease access to recreational pot