Marijuana Could Be a Gusher of Cash If We Treated It Like a Crop, Not a Crime »

Posted By berkeley 1 year, 1 month ago in News

One 2006 study called cannabis the top cash crop in the nation, worth more than corn and wheat combined. It was the leading crop in 12 states, outstripping grapes in California and tobacco in North Carolina, and one of the top three in 18 others, coming in just behind apples in Washington and cotton in Georgia. So with states facing massive deficits, could reefer revenues help?

Read Full Story at alternet.org »

2148 Views Share Story 21 Comments Report

Submitted By:
berkeley

If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. Of all the enemies to public ...

Who Also Submitted:
Other Related Articles:

RSS Join the Discussion

+ Add Comment
Comments So Far: 61 (view all)
- Display
  • 100%
    Eagle_Eye1 year, 1 month ago

    This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »

    What a fantastic way to pay off China and stop making criminals out of sick people!

    (comment_max_expanded_depth : 2) (comment depth : 2) (recursion depth : 1) (max_comment_reply_depth : 40) (comment_max_render_depth : 3)
    Reply
    loading loading ...
    • 100%
      simonsez1 year, 1 month ago

      This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »

      Time to de-criminalize marijuana. It's as stupid as prohibition was ...

      I'm not a user or a grower, but we are wasting huge amounts of revenue sustaining this. Stop.

      (comment_max_expanded_depth : 2) (comment depth : 2) (recursion depth : 1) (max_comment_reply_depth : 40) (comment_max_render_depth : 3)
      Reply

      5 Replies

      loading loading ...
    • 100%
      berkeley1 year, 1 month ago

      This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »

      among it's many virtues, it is also the best counter-force to global deforestation.

      (comment_max_expanded_depth : 2) (comment depth : 2) (recursion depth : 1) (max_comment_reply_depth : 40) (comment_max_render_depth : 3)
      Reply

      3 Replies

      loading loading ...
    • 0%
      kavemandan1 year, 1 month ago

      This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »

      Marijuana should never be legal! So tired of the liberals wanting all our children turning into heorine addicts. Every heroine addict started on marijuana. It is the #1 gateway drug ever! If marijuana was so safe it would never be ILLEGAL. It amazes me people hate ILLEGAL immigrents but are ok with ILLEGAL drugs. ILLEGAL = ILLEGAL no debate needed. It is a poison that grown from the same ground that produces poison ivy, poison oak, poison mushrooms , poison berries etc. Rather than whine about drug users why not try and educate and give towards your community?

      (comment_max_expanded_depth : 2) (comment depth : 2) (recursion depth : 1) (max_comment_reply_depth : 40) (comment_max_render_depth : 3)
      Reply

      8 Replies

      loading loading ...
    • 67%
      Eagle_Eye1 year, 1 month ago

      This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »

      "It is the #1 gateway drug ever!" VERY WRONG

      Alcohol is the number 1 gateway drug then comes the parents medicine cabinet.

      (comment_max_expanded_depth : 2) (comment depth : 3) (recursion depth : 1) (max_comment_reply_depth : 40) (comment_max_render_depth : 3)
      Reply
      loading loading ...
      • 100%
        obiefrommuskogee1 year, 1 month ago

        This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »

        Let's use tax on reefer to pay off the deficit!!!!!

        (comment_max_expanded_depth : 2) (comment depth : 2) (recursion depth : 1) (max_comment_reply_depth : 40) (comment_max_render_depth : 3)
        Reply

        2 Replies

        loading loading ...
      • 100%
        aimlessharmony1 year, 1 month ago

        This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »

        Look...We can go back and forth with statistics all day long, and it won't get us (Americans) anywhere. We need a plan of action...

        Here's one I like...

        The government can decriminalize for home use. Once that is passed, the government can sell marijuana cigarettes in packs just like Marlboro or Camel. (You know R.J. Reynolds already has the packaging art...) Sell the pack of 20 pre-rolled cigarettes for $100 per pack. The tobacco company manufacturing the packs would get their cut, and the rest would be paid directly to the government in the form of taxes.

        Now of course we could talk about different grades of the product in question, and offering different prices accordingly, but as a general plan, this would work. The country would then be out of debt in [ insert economic graph here ]. The only limitations would be from the manufacturers. If they could get the product into the market in a timely fashion and in strong supply..... the sky's the limit....

        (comment_max_expanded_depth : 2) (comment depth : 2) (recursion depth : 1) (max_comment_reply_depth : 40) (comment_max_render_depth : 3)
        Reply

        1 Reply

        loading loading ...
      • 100%
        amazed1 year, 1 month ago

        This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »

        Unfortunately, drugs will never be legal as long as the police and other justice dept. workers have a union. The war on drugs is a huge boon to them -- they get more money for enforcement, more people hired and more job security.

        With the RICO laws, they get the spoils from their drug busts -- including the cool stuff the drug dealers bought with their ill-gotten gains -- fancy clothes, cars, yachts etc.

        Ah, but we can dream....

        and, btw, I haven't smoked dope in about 25 - 30 years...

        (comment_max_expanded_depth : 2) (comment depth : 2) (recursion depth : 1) (max_comment_reply_depth : 40) (comment_max_render_depth : 3)
        Reply

        4 Replies

        loading loading ...
      • 100%
        markmawn21 year, 1 month ago

        This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »

        Squeeze it for oil. Make rope out of the leftovers.

        (comment_max_expanded_depth : 2) (comment depth : 2) (recursion depth : 1) (max_comment_reply_depth : 40) (comment_max_render_depth : 3)
        Reply
        loading loading ...
        • 100%
          Alkaraina1 year, 1 month ago

          This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »

          Weed isn't any worse for us than alcohol.

          (comment_max_expanded_depth : 2) (comment depth : 2) (recursion depth : 1) (max_comment_reply_depth : 40) (comment_max_render_depth : 3)
          Reply
          loading loading ...
          • 100%
            StevieGee1 year, 1 month ago

            This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »

            My roommate broke her back several years ago and has had several surgeries on it and on both knees. She was taking a "cocktail" of several drugs, about 12 pills, to sleep. She now smokes about 1/2 joint before bed. She said that she doesn't sleep quite as well but feels way better in the morning. She has totally eliminated the nightly cocktail. She still takes some pills during the day but I think its mostly because of the addiction. Medical marijuana is legal here in CA but still illegal by federal law. So much for states rights. She is not a criminal!

            (comment_max_expanded_depth : 2) (comment depth : 2) (recursion depth : 1) (max_comment_reply_depth : 40) (comment_max_render_depth : 3)
            Reply
            loading loading ...
            • 67%
              wildman65571 year, 1 month ago

              This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »

              The money saved from legalizing weed would be in the order of 80 billion a year. Put on top of that the 20 billion in taxes raised, then we would reduce the deficit by 25%. Pretty cool.

              (comment_max_expanded_depth : 2) (comment depth : 2) (recursion depth : 1) (max_comment_reply_depth : 40) (comment_max_render_depth : 3)
              Reply
              loading loading ...
              View All 61 Comments

              Add a Comment

              Sign In With Your Propeller Account

              Forgot your password?

              Please keep your comments relevant to this story.

              To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br /> tags.

              More News