Writerbuckeye wrote:
The legalization arguments aside, if it WERE completely legal, there's no way the amounts of money being discussed in this topic would hold true.
The free market would drive the price of this waaaaaay down -- hell, anyone could grow it. Unless of course you're going to use the force of government to keep the cost artificially high (pun intended) by only allowing so many to grow, manufacture and produce it.
Not necessarily true...you can grow your own tobacco too, but most people find it easier to just go to the store and buy a pack.
The biggest issue with this whole discussion is that the government can arrest you even if it is legal in your state and you have the proper credentials for it. As someone with conservative political beliefs I feel that this is absolutely atrocious. Someone could be in California, have their medicinal card, and still be arrested by the DEA. Dispensaries are raided all of the time for absolutely no reason. This should be an issue that states should decide by themselves.
Let's cut the bullshit and get to the truth. It's illegality comes down to some pockets getting lighter if it were legalized. In the beginning it was the paper industry that was losing out to hemp. Now it's both the pharmacutical industry that doesn't want to see such an easy to obtain medicine cut into their market on their non-natural drugs that are more addicting and more expensive, as well as the prison industry (referring to those who own prisons)/law enforcement who would see their numbers go down if they were incarcerating less individuals.
With all of that said, I would say that it's probable that we could see an end to prohibition within the next 30 years based upon how things have drastically changed in the last 30 years. The "reefer madness" generation is starting to die off and people are become more knowledgeable on the subject, it's just a question of whether or not the political forces at be can continue to have their way.
