[Firestone]

I come from a long time tobacco growing family in the East,we were growing tobacco before there was a United States.

In the last century many states enacted what were called tobacco allotments. They were based on the size of the various plots,from a 1/4 acre to an acre and a half,where I grew up. It was legal to lease a set number of allotments from someone else if you wanted to expand your operation.

At the end of the season,the tobacco was cut,dried,given a cure,stripped of stems,bailed and finally taken to auction where the large tobacco companies bid on the various lots. The price you got varied by the quality and quantity of leaf you produced,simple economics.

The key was you couldn't grow without a state allotment and you couldn't sell except at a govt. overseen auction.

That to me seems to be the way to deal with weed. Allotments,auctions,and some type of state controlled weed retailing ala liquor.

The grower has control of his choice of plants and their handling until it's fully cured,it goes to a govt. auction,and it's on it's way to market after the taxman takes his cut.

Make no mistake about it. If MJ goes legal,it is going to a huge biz,and those darned multinationals are going to be into it up to their eyebrows.

As far as strains,any smart farmer is going to grow a strain that is a big yielder with high potency,needs minimal tending and has minimal pest problems in his region.