US Nabs Sinaloa Cartel Head, MN Opens Applications for First Adult-Use Pot Licenses, More… (7/26/24)

Drug cartel clashes in southern Mexico are making a refugee stream into Guatemala, an Oregon initiative that may require pot companies to have “labor peace” agreements is poised to make the poll, and extra.

Marijuana Coverage

Minnesota Marijuana Regulators Open Functions for First Grownup Use Pot Companies. On Wednesday, the state Workplace of Hashish Administration (OCM) started accepting purposes for preapproval licenses for potential marijuana companies verified as involving social fairness candidates. The transfer is designed to supply social fairness candidates with an “early mover benefit” by permitting them to maneuver ahead with enterprise plans with licenses in hand. 

Different units of candidates should look ahead to subsequent yr when ultimate guidelines are authorised. Meaning whereas they, too, can transfer ahead with enterprise plans, they don’t have the reassurance of a license in hand. 

Subsequent in line are licenses for small “microbusinesses,” for which solely 100 licenses will probably be issued: 38 to retailers, 13 to cultivators, and 23 to “mezzobusinesses,” or mid-scale growers, in addition to varied licenses of different kinds. The state has 280 license varieties for its authorized marijuana business. 

“The opening of the applying preapproval window is one other essential milestone in constructing Minnesota’s hashish business,” mentioned interim OCM director Charlene Briner. “We proceed to encourage potential candidates to fastidiously evaluation and use the sources we’ve supplied on our web site to submit their software.”

Oregon Union Initiative to Arrange Marijuana Employees Awaits Signature Verification. An initiative marketing campaign organized by the United Meals and Business Employees (UFCW) Native 555 to make it simpler for marijuana business staff to arrange has handed in signatures and is now awaiting verification from state officers that it has certified for the November poll. 

The United for Hashish initiative would require marijuana companies to enter into “labor peace” agreements in order that workers enthusiastic about unionization can “converse out with out worry of retaliation.”

The UFCW says it spent greater than $2 million on signature-gathering and handed in additional than 163,000 uncooked signatures earlier this month. The measure wants 117,173 legitimate voter signatures to qualify for the poll. 

“We’re terribly assured this can qualify,” Native 555 political director Michael mentioned. “We’re passing this measure.”

Legislation Enforcement

US Arrests Sinaloa Cartel Head “El Mayo” Zambada and One in every of El Chapo’s Sons, Too. The chief of Mexico’s strongest drug trafficking group, the Sinaloa cartel, and the son of its imprisoned former chief have been arrested after the non-public airplane through which they have been touring landed Thursday afternoon on the US aspect of the border close to El Paso, the place FBI brokers have been ready. Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia was a long-time collaborator with Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman in operating the cartel earlier than Guzman was extradited to the US and imprisoned right here and have become the chief of the cartel after Guzman’s departure from the scene. 

Zambada was arrested together with Joaquin Guzman Lopez, certainly one of El Chapo’s sons. Zambada was deceived into getting on the aircraft, and it appears as if Joaquin Guzman was a part of the plot. He had informed Zambada they have been occurring a visit to take a look at actual property.

Zambada and El Chapo labored collectively for many years, turning the Sinaloa Cartel right into a violent, rich powerhouse that funneled tons of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl north of the border. Whereas US regulation enforcement is hailing the bust as a significant victory, consultants say it’s unlikely to have any noticeable affect on the stream of medicine north. 

Falko Ernst, a senior analyst on the Worldwide Disaster Group, mentioned it was unlikely that the arrests would have a significant affect on the smuggling of fentanyl or different medication from Mexico, for the reason that Sinaloa Cartel was a deeply decentralized group already.

“We aren’t speaking a couple of construction that will depend on a couple of kingpins — it’s very diffuse and resilient to those sorts of hits,” Mr. Ernst mentioned. If something, he mentioned, the transfer may spark extra violence as factions vie for management amid a vacuum of energy on the very prime.”There’s already a bunch of strain on that construction and there was loads of infighting,” Mr. Ernst mentioned. “So we’re undoubtedly going through a situation of larger violence, probably.”

Zambada himself expressed comparable views in a 2010 interview: “My case needs to be exemplary, a lesson for everybody,” he mentioned, including: “However after a couple of days, we study nothing has modified.” Referring to cartel bosses, he mentioned: “Locked up, lifeless or extradited, their replacements are already on the market.”

Worldwide

Guatemala Says Tons of of Mexicans Have Fled There to Escape Cartel Violence. Guatemalan authorities mentioned Wednesday that just about 600 Mexicans have fled throughout the border into Guatemala to flee violent drug cartel clashes. Guatemalan authorities are working with native governments in Huehuetenango to help Mexicans  “who’re escaping battle between teams that’s going down on the Mexican aspect,” officers mentioned. 

A Guatemalan authorities report mentioned the refugees had fled their houses due to the combating between cartel factions and due to the resultant lack of meals. Those that fled included males, girls, kids, and the aged, together with one 91-year-old girl who may now not get hold of her diabetes drugs. 

Mexico’s international ministry and Nationwide Guard haven’t responded to requests for touch upon the difficulty, and the state safety company for Chiapas, the place the refugees resided, mentioned there have been no stories from the realm. 

The Guatemalan border area is contested territory for the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, and so they have been battling for greater than a yr alongside the border there. Some 5,000 folks fled one other Chiapas area earlier this yr amidst cartel violence.