A report released today by a marijuana public policy analyst contends that the market value of pot produced in the U.S. exceeds $35 billion — far more than the crop value of such heartland staples as corn, soybeans and hay, which are the top three legal cash crops.Despite the potential profits, the war on drugs and the war on small farmers continues in America. Why are US interests so opposed to a crop that would be such an obvious stimulant (pun intended) to the economy?
Take a hit of the Blues Talkin' post linked HERE and above for more.
7 comments:
And let's not stop at weed; let's include cocaine, etc. These products should produce tax revenue, legal jobs, and no big government programs. Imagine the positive effects of legalizing coke and heroine on the respective economies and political systems of Colombia and Afghanistan. Banning consensual crimes constitutes one of the absolute dumbest acts of an officially democratic and free market nation.
"What US interests"? I know that Nadir here believes that evil groups of greedy corporate executives run the US, and that these monsters somehow maximize their profits only by minimizing the incomes and opportunities of a huge and growing segment of hard-working "poor" people. I of course heartily disagree.
What "US interests" keep recreational drugs illegal? Average Americans. That is what they want. Plenty of companies would profit from drug legalization. But sadly, most Americans lack the information, intelligence, and creativity to see the benefits of drug legalization or the drawbacks of drug prohibition.
The US interests listed in the Blues Talkin post keep recreational drugs illegal. The miltary, oil companies, chemical firms, corporate prisons and many more...
There exist "US interests" in just about everything, including competing alternatives. Chemical firms surely would benefit more from producing and selling drugs than from drug prohibition, even if they prefer making synthetic alternatives to marijuana. Any benefit to prison interests would surely be more than offset by a variety of commercial interests who can sell more goods and services to people gainfully employed outside of prison than inside.
No, my friend, I long ago abandoned the idea that the all that we see in the US derives from the evil lever-pulling and dial-twisting of suit-wearing monsters in corporate enclaves. I fear that Americans are getting what they want, and those corporate officers are just providing those desires.
Tom still thinks that the reason Americans eat so much corn syrup is that Big Ag has decided to infuse us with it. How much corn syrup do I eat? Zero. I read labels, and I refuse to purchase anything with corn syrup. Unfortunately for me, 99.24243% of Americans DO NOT CARE. If Tom and I and others convince enough Americans to care, Big Ag will trip over itself trying to provide us with unrefined natural sweeteners.
"No, my friend, I long ago abandoned the idea that the all that we see in the US derives from the evil lever-pulling and dial-twisting of suit-wearing monsters in corporate enclaves. I fear that Americans are getting what they want, and those corporate officers are just providing those desires."
I'd like to see you convince the people who hold stock in Corrections Corporation of America to invest in educational programs instead of in prisons. It's not about some evil conspiracy. It's about people who want to make a buck by any means necessary. It's greed.
I agree with Tom. Corn syrup is in everything. And it is a big profit engine for corn farmers. Lots of people make lots of money from it.
You're the one who believes in free markets. Don't you think those corporations could be motivated by greed? Why would you expect them to do the right thing if given a choice? They write the labels! They know what their food is doing to all those people who don't care, but they put it in everything anyway.
Nadir wrote: === "It's about people who want to make a buck by any means necessary. It's greed." ===========
The people who own stock in CC of A would not stand a chance to continue the stupid drug prohibition if American voters changed their minds. Go to any black church or white suburban PTA meeting and see how many voters you can get to support drug legalization. CCofA agents have not bought-off these people; to the contrary, these people's ignorant desires have produced a market for CCofA.
If you, Tom, and I, via our irresistible rhetorical wit ever succeed in seducing "the American people" into correctly wishing to revoke drug prohibition, these CCofA investors will stumble over each other selling off their stocks and buying into whatever companies will manufacture and distribute cocaine, speed, etc.
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