While all of the precursor chemicals needed to manufacture methamphetamines have legitimate uses in industry, California enacted tough regulations to ensure that these chemicals are used for only legal purposes by monitoring their sale and transport. Unfortunately, because Mexico has not followed suit, many of these precursor chemicals are easily obtained in Mexico and smuggled across the border. As a result, California has witnessed a shocking growth in methamphetamine production. In recent weeks, I have had the opportunity to discuss this issue with a number of law enforcement officials in Mexico. In only four years, methamphetamine seizures have grown almost ten-fold, while most other types of drug seizures during this time period remained static or even dropped in the amounts seized.
Methamphetamines pose a multi-faceted threat to society.
First of all, methamphetamines are extremely damaging to the health of the user. In addition to the long-term effects that all drugs cause, methamphetamine use generally leads to intense paranoia and violent behavior. Along with the health risks, violent crime associated with methamphetamine producers, traffickers and users is growing more prevalent and intense in nature. Aside from the obvious problems drugs cause in terms of crime and health risks to the user, methamphetamine production leaves a toxic stew that destroys California's agricultural soil and ruins its lakes and rivers. This poisoning costs taxpayers thousands of dollars for every contaminated site and it is uncertain if the soil, water and wildlife will ever fully recover.