if they tax it as hard as cigarettes, there would be plenty of money left after the rehab programs for infrastructure to ship it... ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Weaver" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <biofuel@sustainablelists.org> Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 2:40 PM Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Marijuana Called Top U.S. Cash Crop
> So let's legalize it,, knock out the drug gangs, and tax it, using the > taxes to fund rehab programs for those who want to stop. > > > M&K DuPree wrote: > >>LOL...Courtney is a typical DEA idiot and a complete BONEHEAD...OF COURSE >>THERE ARE NO MOM-POP BONG SHOPS...YOU'VE ALREADY ARRESTED THEM! And, of >>course, if it were legalized, then you would take the "Mexican drug >>trafficking group(s)" out of the equation, but this makes the argument too >>complicated for this utter numbskull. Mike DuPree PS HONK FOR HEMP!! >> >>----- Original Message ----- >>From: "Keith Addison" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>To: <biofuel@sustainablelists.org> >>Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 10:56 AM >>Subject: [Biofuel] Marijuana Called Top U.S. Cash Crop >> >> >> >> >>>See "Invisible farming": >>>http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html#invis >>> >>>--- >>> >>>Marijuana Production in the United States (2006) >>>by Jon Gettman >>> >>>Full text online. >>>http://www.drugscience.org/bcr/ >>> >>>Entire Report (356 kb pdf) >>>http://www.drugscience.org/Archive/bcr2/MJCropReport_2006.pdf >>> >>>---- >>> >>>http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=2735017&page=1 >>>ABC News: >>>February 14, 2007 | Local News and Weather >>> >>>Marijuana Called Top U.S. Cash Crop >>> >>>Marijuana Takes the Pot as Most Valuable Cash Crop in the Country >>> >>>Marijuana is the top cash crop in 12 states and among the top three >>>cash crops in 30, according to a new study. (AP Photo ) >>> >>>By NITYA VENKATARAMAN >>> >>>Dec. 18, 2006 >>> >>>Weeding through the value of the nation's cash crops, a study >>>released today states that marijuana is the U.S.'s most valuable crop >>>and promotes the drug's legalization and taxation. >>> >>>Drug enforcement officials say the equation is not that simple. >>> >>>The report, "Marijuana Production in the United States," by marijuana >>>policy researcher Jon Gettman, concludes that despite massive >>>eradication efforts at the hands of the federal government, >>>"marijuana has become a pervasive and ineradicable part of the >>>national economy." >>> >>>In the report, Gettman, a marijuana-reform activist and leader of the >>>Coalition for Rescheduling Cannabis, champions a system of legal >>>regulation. >>> >>>Contrasting government figures for traditional crops - like corn and >>>wheat - against the study's projections for marijuana production, the >>>report cites marijuana as the top cash crop in 12 states and among >>>the top three cash crops in 30. >>> >>>The study estimates that marijuana production, at a value of $35.8 >>>billion, exceeds the combined value of corn ($23.3 billion) and wheat >>>($7.5 billion). >>> >>>Pot Tax? >>> >>>To activists for marijuana legalization, the study confirms a >>>position they've held for years, and uses government stats to support >>>their claim. >>> >>>"The fact that marijuana is America's No. 1 cash crop after more than >>>three decades of governmental eradication efforts is the clearest >>>illustration that our present marijuana laws are a complete failure," >>>says Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project >>>in Washington D.C., a group that focuses on removing criminal >>>penalties for marijuana use. >>> >>>Kampia, whose comments were included in the study's press release, >>>adds, "Our nation's laws guarantee that 100 percent of the proceeds >>>from marijuana sales go to unregulated criminals rather than to >>>legitimate businesses that pay taxes to support schools, police and >>>roads." >>> >>>A 2005 analysis by Harvard visiting professor Jeffrey Miron estimates >>>that if the United States legalized marijuana, the country would save >>>$7.7 billion in law enforcement costs and could generated as much as >>>$6.2 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like alcohol or tobacco. >>> >>>Miron's report on the costs of marijuana prohibition was signed by >>>more than 500 leading economists, most notably the late Nobel >>>laureate Milton Friedman, who served as an economist in both the >>>Nixon and Reagan administrations. >>> >>>The Dangers of Legalization >>> >>>Aside from the health debate over legalizing marijuana, Garrison >>>Courtney, spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Agency, says groups that >>>advocate its taxation sometimes paint too rosy a picture. >>> >>>"It's still a drug," Courtney says. "Just because it's a good cash >>>crop doesn't mean you should legalize and tax it." >>> >>>"It's not these cute mom-and-pop bong shops anymore," Courtney >>>continued. "It's violent drug-trafficking groups that are doing all >>>these grows." >>> >>>Local marijuana growers, he says, are the tentacles of international >>>drug-trafficking organizations that bring weapons, violence and a >>>slew of other drugs into the market. >>> >>>"You can't tax a Mexican drug trafficking group," Courtney explains. >>>"That's the side a lot of people don't focus on." >>> >>> >>>_______________________________________________ >>>Biofuel mailing list >>>Biofuel@sustainablelists.org >>>http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org >>> >>>Biofuel at Journey to Forever: >>>http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html >>> >>>Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 >>>messages): >>>http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ >>> >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> >>_______________________________________________ >>Biofuel mailing list >>Biofuel@sustainablelists.org >>http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org >> >>Biofuel at Journey to Forever: >>http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html >> >>Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 >>messages): >>http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ >> >> >> > > > _______________________________________________ > Biofuel mailing list > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 > messages): > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.431 / Virus Database: 268.17.37/682 - Release Date: 2/12/2007 > 1:23 PM > -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.431 / Virus Database: 268.17.39/687 - Release Date: 2/14/2007 4:17 PM _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
