Legalize It: It’s About Time
How the War on Drugs has Become the War on Reason.
Time. The one commodity we can never replace and precisely the commodity that too many Americans are losing, thanks to current marijuana laws. Time is money, right? So who’s losing?
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Farmers and Merchants – Marijuana is extremely useful as a material. Hemp can be used to create clothes of all textures (as versatile as cotton, more durable, but easier to grow), agricultural feeds, foodstuffs, rope (some of the strongest), and other commodities. Note that Hemp does not produce the physiological effects of cannabis, its smoke-able cousin, but that it remains illegal for reasons unknown. The only thing you’ll get from smoking it is a headache, but you can harvest far more per acre than you can cotton. Hmm… an agricultural commodity that’s superior to cotton, cheaper to grow, easier to grow, more durable, less expensive, and produces profitable by-products as well?
(Who are the ONLY ones that lose here? I’ll give you a hint: You’ve been told that it was the fabric of your life since you were three. Ever hear of the Butter vs Margarine Wars? Look it up. This is today’s version.)
Joe Public – Marijuana, under current law, is a Black Market commodity. This removes it from the normal laws of supply-and-demand. While pot can be grown easily, shipped efficiently, and used responsibly by Americans, it cannot be sold safely due only to the laws restricting it. There is an ever-present demand, and an easily-fulfilled supply; to any economist this would be a risk-free endeavor, but the law has created an “artificial” risk that need not be present. When the laws get tougher, the risk goes up, the value goes up, and Black Market crime goes up. When the laws get more permissive, the risk goes down, the value goes down, and crime goes down. Crime, violence, and robbery is the “pressure” that is created when there is ample supply, and ample demand, but the former is not being allowed to fulfill the latter. So instead of someone smoking a $2.00 joint in their back yard and enjoying a night on the couch, you’ve got someone taking your $500.00 Blackberry.
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Post Commentthestickman
On November 17, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Talented and insightful article! Worthy!
LISA COX
On December 13, 2009 at 2:35 pm
This is an incredible article that I wish I could add to. Such as DOCUMENTED medical research showing an impressive reduction of symptoms in Autisim when small amounts of marijuana are ingested. Again this is documented and easy to research. Hemp grown for clothing,furniture,boxes,rope,and building materials is of superior quality and obviously reduces greatly the damage done to our forests. It takes less nutrients from the soil and would create an unbelievable amount of much needed jobs and revenue that weve lost overseas ( thanks to Clinton) could be replaced well before your 2 yr. old is out of junior high. Hemp oil hasd been used as a fuel resourse by many of our forefathers and finally you ought to look up (just for kicks and funsies) what George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had to say about it.