Study: Marijuana sales booming
A new study concludes medical marijuana is booming business.
The national debt is growing faster than hydroponic weed.
Medical marijuana, legally sold in only seven states, already has the revenue ($1.7 billion) of Viagra, a drug available everywhere there are men who like sex. The study says legal marijuana sales will likely be much higher in 5 years –up to $8.7 billion.
The study, by See Change Strategy, was released Wednesday.
You can buy a lot of Spreewells with that kind of change.
I have no idea what the market would be for legalized non-medical marijuana, but it would have to dwarf $8.7 billion, even if prices declined with increased urban farmer production.
Stephen Easton, writing for the Fraser Institute, estimates if the government sold marijuana at the current inflated street price ($10 per gram), an extra $100 billion in taxes could be sucked out of consumer pockets.
Elected officials could upgrade their $60,000 SUVs, that’s for sure.
Or, if Congress used that $100 billion a year prudently, the U.S. could pay off its national debt in just 140 annual payments.
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37 comments Add your comment
headzup
March 23rd, 2011
9:07 pm
What are Spreewells?
Cutty
March 23rd, 2011
9:18 pm
Spreewells??? Really???
bigdawg88
March 23rd, 2011
9:20 pm
If legalized I think it would probably be the same as alcohol… if you don’t act like an idiot at work then you don’t get tested. Mary doesn’t really hang around that long in urine tests. I once smoked and tested clean a couple of days later. If you came to work sloppy drunk you’ll get tested, but if you come to work and don’t make a fuss (even if you’re drunk) nobody says anything.
So either abstain before work, learn your limits, or NEVER LET THEM SEE YOU SOBER!**
I worked for years high. It actually makes boring work doable. Honestly though, I wouldn’t recommend it and haven’t smoked in years. But I’m in favor of legalization, with high taxes.
**Honest John said it first
x1134x
March 23rd, 2011
9:29 pm
Yeah, the total of all law enforcement both state and federal throughout the nation doesn’t even add up to 1% of the total cannabis trafficked in america. Not even 1%. Since the “victim” IS the “perpetrator” there will be no report to police of the “crime” and all but the most negligent of activity WILL go undeterred, piping BILLIONS of dollars into the hands of drug cartels rather than going to legitimate american busineses as it would without prohibition. Either way, prohibited or not, the activity will continue in almost the exact same level as it would without the prohibition. The failure of alcohol prohibition has taught us this. Because we have the 4th amendment and do not quarter police or soldiers in citizen’s homes, prohibition will always be unenforceable on all but the most negligent of users.
Realizing this, our predecessors wisely regulated and taxed the allowable, responsible, adult usage of alcohol and have mitigated the ills to the smallest they can possibly be. Prohibition cannot make them less, it can only cause MORE ILLS. This has been PROVEN by trial!
There is a veritable river of money that flows to cartels for cannabis that cannot EVER be stopped bay ANYTHING other than the legalized production by american growers that is regulated.
bigdawg88
March 23rd, 2011
9:29 pm
I wonder about the taxes though… as high as the taxes are on cigarettes, has there been a huge black market for cigarettes? If taxes are too high would that keep growers from going legit?
I also wonder if the government should set a limit on how much THC and/or cannaboids (sp?) are in the weed. I hear the weed today is insane. Still, should be legalized, but smoking it in public should not be allowed.
I bet the snack food companies (and late nite restaurants) can’t wait for weed to be legal! As soon as it is legalized I’m buying stock in Pepsico and Krystal’s (darn, Little Debbie’s owned by a private company!) and retiring to the Bahamas!
fred
March 23rd, 2011
9:40 pm
everbody’ i know toke up
Winfield J. Abbe
March 23rd, 2011
9:44 pm
The war on drugs is a dismal failure. Our towns and cities are now war zones. Our police, district attorneys and judges are corrupt, on the take, but operate in secret provided by the armed, military force of Georgia government. Many of the horrible effects of illicit drugs are from improper manufacturing methods. Legalizatio would end this problem.
Read the article “Let Those Dopers Be” by Norm Stamper, Los Angeles Times, Oct., 2005. Norm Stamper is a 34 year police officer who ended his career as police chief Seattle, WA. Other high police officials support legalization. The only people who don’t want legalization are those making so much secret money from illegal drugs.
There is no other solution: Legalize and tax and regulate drugs. We learned nothing from history.
tater tot
March 23rd, 2011
10:00 pm
Legalize it asap. I’m ready for some good times. I meant High Times.
djs_nc
March 23rd, 2011
10:06 pm
no matter how many states legalize it, it is still a class 1 yes ONE felony by federal law. the feds have backed off a little, but they can still bust all these medical pot places..and as long as the feds keep it illegal companies will drug test for it. and it can stay in your system for 30 days in a urine test. the pharmeceutical companies will fight it tooth and nail because it will keep a lot of people from using their wonderful addicting legal drugs that are such a huge crime problem now.
James
March 23rd, 2011
10:07 pm
Ok, think back to your worst hangover ever. And think back to the worst time you ever had smoking pot (if you ever have).
Do they even remotely compare? Mine sure don’t. The worst weed experience I ever had was falling asleep during Inception.