To weaken the cartels, some argue the U.S. should legalize marijuana, let cocaine pass through the Caribbean and take the profit motive out of the drug trade.
On December 1, the City of Denver will start collecting city sales tax from every medical marijuana dispensary in the city. "Tax revenue agents will be meeting with all dispensaries, giving them the information," says Denver City Attorney David Fine.
There was an old hippy saying in the '60s: "If the government figured out a way to tax it, marijuana would become legal." As of last week, Colorado has apparently crossed that Rubicon—at least for the prescribed version.
PBS VIDEO: With budget woes causing cuts to essential services across California, several communities in the state are weighing whether to raise additional revenue through tax hikes on medical marijuana.