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The Hidden Economy of Marijuana in California
By Virginia Prescott on Monday, July 28, 2008.
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It's been twelve years since California voters decided to make marijuana legal for medical purposes, with the passage of Proposition 215.
Since then, an enormous underground industry has emerged in the state. There are about 200,000 people in California who have letters from their doctors prescribing them medicinal marijuana. One report estimates that in 2006 Californians grew more than 20 million pot plants, worth about 14 billion dollars - actually displacing corn as America’s leading cash crop. But conflicting county, state and federal laws have created a patchwork of rules and regulations.
David Samuels spent half a year exploring this hidden economic sector and wrote about it in The New Yorker. He joins Word of Mouth with more on the people that make up this emerging industry.
(Photo by Alexandra Moss)
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Word of Mouth is all about what's new. Online and on-air, the show looks at our fascinating and ever-changing world, and puts the latest ideas under a microscope. Word of Mouth investigates everything from science and technology, to health and the environment, to new trends in popular culture. The show airs Monday through Thursday at noon and is hosted by Virginia Prescott.
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why do they show a picture of a male plant? at least show a female!!!
It costs $140 Billion taxpayer dollars/yr to fight the un-winnable war on cannabis. Save that money by re-legalizing cannabis. Tax it and put $Billions/yr more back in to government coffers. Reduce drug dealers by keeping the price down. Cannabis is our country's largest cash crop. And, all the profits go to criminals. No amount of scare tactics propaganda, or strict laws is going to reduce cannabis use. So, where's our cut? Congress and the President need to wake up and end this war. They don't seem to realize that American Voter's are ready for repeal. We know that continuing the war on cannabis is "reefer madness".
Some might argue that if you make marijuana completely legal, then this little secret network/black market would disappear. And some liken marijuana's illegality to prohibition in the early 1900s. Consider NORML's argument .
Of course this industry in its present form would disappear.How many people are making a living off of illegal,untaxed booze anymore. Make marijuana completely legal and the Seagrams etc. of the world will own it. You and I will just be farmers. Some of us might end up having nice farms similar to the wineries that have been family owned but that is all.