Marijuana Called Top U.S. Cash Crop

[jcj77d]

Marijuana is the top cash crop in 12 states and among the top three cash crops in 30, according to a new study. Weeding through the value of the nation's cash crops, a study released today states that marijuana is the U.S.'s most valuable crop and promotes the drug's legalization and taxation. Drug enforcement officials say the equation is not that simple. The report, "Marijuana Production in the United States," by marijuana policy researcher Jon Gettman, concludes that despite massive eradication efforts at the hands of the federal government, "marijuana has become a pervasive and ineradicable part of the national economy." In the report, Gettman, a marijuana-reform activist and leader of the Coalition for Rescheduling Cannabis, champions a system of legal regulation. Contrasting government figures for traditional crops -- like corn and wheat -- against the study's projections for marijuana production, the report cites marijuana as the top cash crop in 12 states and among the top three cash crops in 30. The study estimates that marijuana production, at a value of $35.8 billion, exceeds the combined value of corn ($23.3 billion) and wheat ($7.5 billion).

Pot Tax?

To activists for marijuana legalization, the study confirms a position they've held for years, and uses government stats to support their claim. "The fact that marijuana is America's No. 1 cash crop after more than three decades of governmental eradication efforts is the clearest illustration that our present marijuana laws are a complete failure," says Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington D.C., a group that focuses on removing criminal penalties for marijuana use. Kampia, whose comments were included in the study's press release, adds, "Our nation's laws guarantee that 100 percent of the proceeds from marijuana sales go to unregulated criminals rather than to legitimate businesses that pay taxes to support schools, police and roads." A 2005 analysis by Harvard visiting professor Jeffrey Miron estimates that if the United States legalized marijuana, the country would save $7.7 billion in law enforcement costs and could generated as much as $6.2 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like alcohol or tobacco. Miron's report on the costs of marijuana prohibition was signed by more than 500 leading economists, most notably the late Nobel laureate Milton Friedman, who served as an economist in both the Nixon and Reagan administrations.

The Dangers of Legalization

Aside from the health debate over legalizing marijuana, Garrison Courtney, spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Agency, says groups that advocate its taxation sometimes paint too rosy a picture. "It's still a drug," Courtney says. "Just because it's a good cash crop doesn't mean you should legalize and tax it." "It's not these cute mom-and-pop bong shops anymore," Courtney continued. "It's violent drug-trafficking groups that are doing all these grows." Local marijuana growers, he says, are the tentacles of international drug-trafficking organizations that bring weapons, violence and a slew of other drugs into the market. "You can't tax a Mexican drug trafficking group," Courtney explains. "That's the side a lot of people don't focus on."

[enjoythesilence]

i love how in the "Dangers of Legalization" section, the guy points out how pot is "still a drug." what the hell is his explanation for alcohol and tobacco which are both drugs as well, and proven to be much more dangerous than weed?

my favorite part though is this

"It's not these cute mom-and-pop bong shops anymore," Courtney continued. "It's violent drug-trafficking groups that are doing all these grows." Local marijuana growers, he says, are the tentacles of international drug-trafficking organizations that bring weapons, violence and a slew of other drugs into the market. "You can't tax a Mexican drug trafficking group," Courtney explains. "That's the side a lot of people don't focus on."

......so theoretically, if we legalize it, and have it governmentally regulated and controlled like alochol and tobacco, it would wipe out all of the groups he's just named. the only reason trafficking groups exist is for the money, and by legalizing weed and selling it in stores, there is nothing left in it for them (the traffickers). it really puzzles me as to how he could use that as an argument against legalization. and if you really wanted to, you could use the alcohol prohibition as an example. the mobs and organized crime made boatloads of money off of moonshine while alcohol was illegal. repeal the prohibition, and they're gone (at least from the alcohol market)

i still remember a phrase i learned in my drug policy class. PNWAWARAC: prohibition never works as well as regulation and control.

[Hyphy]

this is a good thread


can't wait till i can grow without trouble

[CoughDrop]

haha I love how the dipshit says "You can't tax a Mexican drug trafficking group" when the drugs wouldn't need trafficking if it were legal. WTF!?!? How can people get away with this logic? It's like politicians can say anything they want so long as they 'out-argue' the other party.


How can you argue taxing pot from any standpoint. Look at anyone of us, we're all willing to drop $40 on less than 4 grams of smoke. That's probably a few thousand dollars for any pothead a year, given that they buy an 1/8th a week.

Tax me, please!

[CosmicSerpent]

Originally Posted by jcj77d

Aside from the health debate over legalizing marijuana, Garrison Courtney, spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Agency, says groups that advocate its taxation sometimes paint too rosy a picture. "It's still a drug,"

So are alcohol and tobacco, both of which are more dangerous drugs than marijuana since they can directly kill you.

"Just because it's a good cash crop doesn't mean you should legalize and tax it."

And why not? Every single other good cash cop is legal and taxed, so why should marijuana be an exception just because of some misinformed politicians in the 1930's?

"It's not these cute mom-and-pop bong shops anymore," Courtney continued.

I know plenty of cute mom and pop bong shops.

"It's violent drug-trafficking groups that are doing all these grows." Local marijuana growers, he says, are the tentacles of international drug-trafficking organizations that bring weapons, violence and a slew of other drugs into the market.

I know plenty of people who grow for personal use, or who grow to share with friends. Not to mention medical growers in California.... you don't see violent crime involved in that and it's legal. International drug-trafficking along with weapons, violence, and other dangerous drugs all become involved as a result of it being illegal. If it were grown right here in the U.S. by responsible people, regulated, taxed, and sold at the corner store then there wouldn't be a need for all of that dangerous activity.

"You can't tax a Mexican drug trafficking group," Courtney explains. "That's the side a lot of people don't focus on."

Who said anything about Mexican drug trafficking being legal? If I can grow it myself or buy it at the store, why would I have to buy it on the black market? None of these marijuana reform organizations are advocating violent crime and trafficking.
This Courtney guy is an idiot. His logic makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Marijuana has been illegal for 70 years, yet it is still the nation's number one cash crop. That fact alone explains why it should be legal.... obviously the people want it. The billions of dollars our government has spent on the "War on Drugs" has done nothing. It's all because of ignorance.

[Medicine Al]

Quote;The Dangers of Legalization

Aside from the health debate over legalizing marijuana, Garrison Courtney, spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Agency, says groups that advocate its taxation sometimes paint too rosy a picture. "It's still a drug," Courtney says. "Just because it's a good cash crop doesn't mean you should legalize and tax it." "It's not these cute mom-and-pop bong shops anymore," Courtney continued. "It's violent drug-trafficking groups that are doing all these grows." Local marijuana growers, he says, are the tentacles of international drug-trafficking organizations that bring weapons, violence and a slew of other drugs into the market. "You can't tax a Mexican drug trafficking group," Courtney explains. "That's the side a lot of people don't focus on."

How did they get so many fuckin' stupid lines into one paragraph?

Garrison Courtney is a WORLD CLASS MORON, IN THE SERVICE OF THE LARGEST DRUG CARTEL ON EARTH! That's how...keep slinging the bullshit DEA, some people are still stupid enough to listen to you.

[eleven357]

So is one of these 12 states California? [Just making sure]

[Calismoker14]

Originally Posted by jcj77d

Marijuana is the top cash crop in 12 states and among the top three cash crops in 30, according to a new study. Weeding through the value of the nation's cash crops, a study released today states that marijuana is the U.S.'s most valuable crop and promotes the drug's legalization and taxation. Drug enforcement officials say the equation is not that simple. The report, "Marijuana Production in the United States," by marijuana policy researcher Jon Gettman, concludes that despite massive eradication efforts at the hands of the federal government, "marijuana has become a pervasive and ineradicable part of the national economy." In the report, Gettman, a marijuana-reform activist and leader of the Coalition for Rescheduling Cannabis, champions a system of legal regulation. Contrasting government figures for traditional crops -- like corn and wheat -- against the study's projections for marijuana production, the report cites marijuana as the top cash crop in 12 states and among the top three cash crops in 30. The study estimates that marijuana production, at a value of $35.8 billion, exceeds the combined value of corn ($23.3 billion) and wheat ($7.5 billion).

Pot Tax?

To activists for marijuana legalization, the study confirms a position they've held for years, and uses government stats to support their claim. "The fact that marijuana is America's No. 1 cash crop after more than three decades of governmental eradication efforts is the clearest illustration that our present marijuana laws are a complete failure," says Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington D.C., a group that focuses on removing criminal penalties for marijuana use. Kampia, whose comments were included in the study's press release, adds, "Our nation's laws guarantee that 100 percent of the proceeds from marijuana sales go to unregulated criminals rather than to legitimate businesses that pay taxes to support schools, police and roads." A 2005 analysis by Harvard visiting professor Jeffrey Miron estimates that if the United States legalized marijuana, the country would save $7.7 billion in law enforcement costs and could generated as much as $6.2 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like alcohol or tobacco. Miron's report on the costs of marijuana prohibition was signed by more than 500 leading economists, most notably the late Nobel laureate Milton Friedman, who served as an economist in both the Nixon and Reagan administrations.

The Dangers of Legalization

Aside from the health debate over legalizing marijuana, Garrison Courtney, spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Agency, says groups that advocate its taxation sometimes paint too rosy a picture. "It's still a drug," Courtney says. "Just because it's a good cash crop doesn't mean you should legalize and tax it." "It's not these cute mom-and-pop bong shops anymore," Courtney continued. "It's violent drug-trafficking groups that are doing all these grows." Local marijuana growers, he says, are the tentacles of international drug-trafficking organizations that bring weapons, violence and a slew of other drugs into the market. "You can't tax a Mexican drug trafficking group," Courtney explains. "That's the side a lot of people don't focus on."

Most mexican weed is shit anyway, why the fuck would we wanna buy some mexican brown shit when we could buy dank ass headies in a store.

[aribus]

Nothing makes me more angry than a bunch of suits saying that weed is a drug while they sip on cognac and smoke their cigars. Weed being illegal is just prohibition that lasted way too long.

[Benito]

Originally Posted by Calismoker14

Most mexican weed is shit anyway, why the fuck would we wanna buy some mexican brown shit when we could buy dank ass headies in a store.

haha preach!

[pyro818]

we should all begin to kill of the DEA workers and slip join the DEA and start talking more shit about coke and meth and say how we think weed is better.

and if that doesn't work just raid weed plantations and smoke it up

[Toke'n Girl]

"No, we can't legalize something that already brings in violence, no! Not even if it would stop the violence, that would just be mad!"

[Berlette]

Who's the dumbass hiring all these malinformed DEA agents? Jesus, someone needs to improve their job qualifications...

[amsterdamage]

you all beat me to the obvious, the "dangers of legalization" section is completely full of crap.

No one in this country could support those arguments, but obviously just being right isn't enough to achieve legalization.
We have to create public support for legalization, more than that we have to get the general public demanding
legalization. When the weight of public opinion demands legalization, legalization will be achieved.

The main problem in this is the overwhelming imbalance in ability between us and the DEA to get a message out to the general public.
When you think about it, how do we tell three hundred million people that marijuana is safe? How do we get our message out there so
they will hear it, understand it, and support it? How do we create the public support we need to bring about the end of the prohibition?


Any ideas? ..coz just being right obviously isn't enough.

imo marijuana needs a fresh new image, we gotta lose the "stoner" image and follow guys like Tvert, Steves and Montel. When the
public thinks of marijuana they got to think of a guy in a suit who speaks articulately and avoids violence.

Marijuana, the intelligent choice.

[Sebae09]

I dont think they should make the grass that comes from other countries illegal so they can be a fucking monopoly and make all the money from it, fuck that son. all the government wants is our money..................

AMsterdamage "imo marijuana needs a fresh new image, we gotta lose the "stoner" image and follow guys like Tvert, Steves and Montel. When the
public thinks of marijuana they got to think of a guy in a suit who speaks articulately and avoids violence."

that is exactly what needs to happen man