This is a reply that I posted a few days ago on a different thread but I felt this topic deserves it's own thread. This is a talking point that Anti-MJ are frequently bring up. I want to hear WHEN MJ is legalized how will you get your herb? Smokers will start growing their own, instead of buying it from stores and paying taxes. This I don't believe will happen. But, here is my counterpoint. Take beer. It is legal, very fun, and relatively easy to BREW YOUR OWN! Instead most people take the easy mode and just buy all their beers from stores. How many people homebrew? I personally know a handful but I myself am a homebrewer. I don't have the capacity to brew the quantity needed to drink my own brews every time I drink, I still have to buy beers from the stores. I currently have a small grow, 3 plants max. If MJ were to become legal and able to be bought at stores, I would still buy from the store. Because just like my homebrewing, I wouldn't have the capacity to smoke only my own herb. Growing MJ and home brewing take about the same commitment and knowledge to do. Another note not entirely off point but "Pre-rolled MJ Cigarettes" sold in stores for a premium. Look at the tobacco industry, how much cheaper is it to roll your own cigarettes compared to the packaged kind? The government is going to make SOO much money off taxes! Joint machines in bars right next to the Golden Tee machines. So will you take the 4-5 months of selecting a strain, growing, maintenance of your grow room, care, harvest, and curing? OR? Head to the Quick-E-Mart and buy a pack of MJ cigarettes for a premium? I personally will probably maintain my small garden and get my couple of ounces a year. And get the other 80% of my stock from a store. Come on people start getting involved. Join NoRML and/or MPP, email your congressmen/women. Don't further the stereotype of the lazy stoner! -Ozone
I also am a homebrewer. I agree that most brewers are enthusiasts and brew for fun. There is only a small number of brewers that are able to brew all of their beer, most still drink outside beer. I think the same would be true if cannabis were legalized. I would enough predict homegrow would decrease significantly. I think a lot of people who homegrow strictly for personal use do so because it can be expensive and very difficult to obtain quality cannibis on a regular basis. If high quality buds were readily available, only enthusiasts would still homegrow.
We are corporate America. I find it hard to believe that people will not treat Cannabis as a commodity. Because if it gets to the market, that's exactly what it's going to be. The way I look at it is that there's always someone better than you at something. Whether it be brewing quality alcohol, making quality clothes from quality resources (such as hemp), or Coca-Cola, this will be taken to the corporate level for profit to keep this economy thriving. So maybe a good economy is against the political agenda
Smokers will begin to grow their own? What logic do they use to come to that conclusion, how many tobacco smokers do you see growing their own tobacco? And really you need to think, thats their reason for keeping marijuana illegal? Because people will grow their own, so it's better to keep it illegal? Anybody who uses an argument like this is obviously desperate for anything they can use, because the main point is that there is nothing to worry about even if people decide to grow their own, because growing a plant should not be a crime - especially not in this case! As for when it's legalized, i don't know if i'll grow or buy it, but what the hell does it matter?? I really don't see how this argument contributes at all to why marijuana should be kept illegal
I think I would still buy bud after taxing THOUGH the overall price after taxed would have to be around $50-60 for 1/8 or less
You think so? The post-legalization price should be around half of the underground street price, marijuana being pushed underground has had inflation skyrocket, pot is now worth more by weight than gold! The estimated tax is set around $50 per ounce, which averages out to less than $2 tax per gram (about $1.79 per gram), so I'm expecting around $30 ish per 1/8, pretty reasonable for buying
This is a statement we are hearing from Anti-MJ spokepersons. They say the extra $40-50/ ounce tax won't mean anything because we will be growing our own opposed to buying--> paying taxes--> why legalize it?
I also would maintain a small "personal" scrog garden of my two favorite strains, but I would buy the bulk of my meds on the market. Especially the edibles. Much as I enjoy cooking, I prefer to purchase my organic edibles pre-made.
$55/oz for medicinal grade is pretty fair in my book Im pretty sure if you could go down to the corner store n grab a pack of Alcopoco Golds, for ~$20, you wouldent bother to finish reading th.........
Tru - Some people just have a brown thumb. Others dont have the means to grow a plant well enough to bother. If all you can get to grow is some spindly lil half dead leaves and a twig, and theres the best stuff money can buy right at the store, Im thinkin my plant will be in the dumpster
I would probably have about a half dozen plants in my garden but most of the time I would probably go to the store and buy some weed. But I dont plan on buying a pack of joints I would probably buy the MJ equivalent of american spirit. Just a bag full of pre-ground weed, additive-free, and hopefully organic.
Like a bunch of people I would have 2-3 plants to tend to but I would still buy from stores because I would still have to wait untill my own crop reached maturity.
Hopefully the Anti-MJ people are reading this and taking notes. The constant BS reasons they talk about why MJ shouldn't be legal are continuously shot down and disproven. I see them fighting to the end, making up some ridiculous arguments about MJ. "Marijuana will cause all your sperm to fly out of your penis and KILL YOU!!" End this prohibition now. I'm tired of drinking my very real back pain away and want to use some all natural medicine to treat myself without the fear of persucution.
I think you can compare this to the current state of cigs. Some people like to just buy them and some like to roll their own to save some money. Personally, Id have a grow going, but Id also go to a store for some. Here are some pros and cons for growing yourself and buying it at a store. Growing - Pros: Cheaper/free bud, under the counter selling, bud on demand (if its ready to smoke) Cons: Takes a while, most likely you will have only a few strains, power bill Store - Pros: Variety in buds, on the go bud all year, the ability to be a closet smoker, Smoking bud for your country Cons: Cost more in the short&long term, gas (for non hippies ), unknown growing techniques (i.e. pesticides?) Thats just a few Im sure you can add more.
It wont be legalised for a while so just go move to amsterdam, wait till its legalised then move back to U.S