This Buds For You

Jim Finnel

Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
Have you noticed the amount of attention? marijuana is getting lately It might as well be called the new state flower. What a difference and economic crisis makes!

I have been an underground cannabis cultivator for 26 years; for obvious reasons, I'm writing under a pseudonym. My older cousins were all guerrilla growers in the 1980s, and I served as their personal slave laborer for years before I was allowed to grow something of my own. Needless to say, I have pretty much figured it out and have not looked back since, producing some pretty amazing smoke throughout the years.

Despite pot's recent popularity as a potential source for tax revenue, most of the mainstream media continue to demonize marijuana use, for medical purposes or otherwise. Anyone even remotely familiar with cannabis knows the media's fear-based campaign is bunk. When was the last time you heard of anyone dying from medical complications caused by marijuana? Most of the plant's ill effects are due to its criminalization: the risk involved with buying and selling on the street.

I'm not talking just about dope deals gone bad. Recently a man named Eddy Lepp was sentenced to 10 years for cultivation of more than 3,700 plants, even though he had all the medical recommendations for the amount he was cultivating. His sentence is what our government calls a "mandatory minimum," first offense or not. And Lepp is just one of countless victims in the ruthless war waged against mostly nonviolent people by our government for decades.

But let's flip the script. Let's say pot becomes fully legal. Things could go any number of different ways, not all of them good.

Suppose we allow everyone 18 and over to buy a pack of joints or whatever. Philip Morris sells pot nationally, Budweiser offers their own brand of schwag, as do Miller, Coors, Camel and so on. Nevermind the poor grower who just finally stabilized a strain and is now ready to produce some amazing shit. Budweiser has cornered the market and driven the price through the floor. Now he can barely cover the electricity bill.

Meanwhile, Bud extends the shelf life of its genetically modified cannabis crop through the use of preservatives; Joe the Plummer becomes its best customer. Pipes clog, water heaters explode, your insurance company sues Joe. Sooner or later, the government steps in to "regulate" the market, setting limits on potency and interstate commerce. This bud—and only this bud—is for you.

However, let's say pot is fully decriminalized, and individuals are free to cultivate as much as they want, free from government regulation. If corporate weed becomes a homogenous, uniform product, ordinary citizens will have an alternative: They can grow their own marijuana for personal use, or go into business for themselves and perhaps even challenge the majors with their own blend of GMO- and preservative-free weed.

Growing good cannabis is both a science and an art, with a lot of personal technique. Ask any one who grows, it takes years of trial and error to get to a marketable point. It's an expensive hobby for a lot of people, but when you perfect that one special strain and it just blows your mind, the sense of satisfaction is priceless.

Despite what opponents of full legalization claim, if it should come to pass, nothing will change except the crime rate, which will almost certainly go down. The risks older generations of marijuana smokers have taken for granted will become a thing of the past.

California needs to stop treating marijuana users like second-class citizens, criminals in the eyes of the law. Full legalization is the only answer.


NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Sacramento News & Review (CA)
Copyright: 2009 Chico Community Publishing, Inc.
Contact: sactoletters@newsreview.com
Website: Sacramento News & Review - Home
Author: Skip Jones
 
Well, let us remember, if it were not for the Timothy Leary in the 70s, we would not have been set back 100 years. To take to the supreme court, the fact that you had to break the law to get a stamp, hurt everyone.

What is incredjulous is in 5 or 6 states, it is a slap on the hand, the other 44-45 states, you go to jail, our jails and prison's are full of non violent, non criminals except for what the law calls.

There is no doubt, if we go to total legalization, we will have different strengths, packaged different ways, by the big boys you all mention. The one thing that no one talks about is our food supply. Farmers that grow corn, 99% of the time one ear per stalk, will grow marijuana, we will, thanks to the biggest boys like Cargill and others, who have you know already mastered germination of marijuana as well as they do soy and corn today (how many rows of corn in the heartland of our country do you see empty rows, it just does not happen anymore. We will be short food, because just about every farmer that grows cotton and veggies have said if Marijuana made them more money, they would switch.

I see a day where a dozen ears of Sweet corn will be $8-12 bucks. There are many many things to look at about Legalization, and lack of food production is just one of those.

I think we should start with just small movements, as Obamacare needs to slow down and take it baby steps at a time. Allow non commercial outfits, that means the little guy at home, be able to product 50 plants of less for Sharing, not selling, dope pushers should still go to jail, but end users, prospective customers, all of us, can grow our own, smoke our own and share with others.

The greatest seedbanks of this world have worked tirelessly for decades to produce the best genetics possible. You let the big boys get in and pot will be good, but never as great as it is today, not unless they really screw with it and who wants that.

In 1976 or 77 High Times had an article of the GOVERNMENT GROWS MARIJUANA 10X STRONGER THAN WHAT IS ON THE STREETS (at that time) Well, I smoked Hawaiian back then when I could afford it and trust me, even today, the best genetics I can possible grow, is as good or no better, not by 10X than that 3 or 4 hit wipe you out for a few hours. Wow....I can't wait....
 
LED, great post!! I never considered all of the commercial farmers abandoning their crops for a new cash crop. There wouldn't be a food shortage, just higher prices for importing everything (kinda like Hawaii). At least that's how I c it. +reps for info and intelligently presenting ur perspective.
 
I agree, very good perspective LED.
 
Supply and demand. If we had all those farmers growing who would buy it all? The price would come way down and then maybe it would be better$ to grow corn. Its all about the demand.
I for one cant wait for real good cheap weed but I wont hold my breath for it.
Even in Ca. weed goes for what 30-45 1/8 oz at a medical store. Still pretty expensive to me. I am sure alot of growers dont want legal weed. They are making lots of $ and will lose money if its legal for all of us to grow.
 
Any idiot can see the money to be made here. Let's do the Rocket Science-like math involved here:

Stalk of corn price: $5-$10
Stalk of Marijuana plant: over $2000 (not including the clones that can be made from it)

Could it be any simpler? I haven't even begin to explain how much use hemp has as well.

Sure, price the shit out of it. Strip it of it's outlaw glamour so the poseur rebels stop smoking it, regulate it to certain licensed buildings like the beloved Amsterdam does, then tax it so the idiots that don't know shit about pot can get a kickback that they can spend on booze, coffee and cigararettes!

Everybody wins. Not only that, school bake sales will then be allowed to sell shit that the parents will actually buy.
 
Thank you for your generous comments, most people think I am looney. Not to get away from the proper thread, Aloha, BWC, I was fortunate enough to live Five years in our 50th State, while Stationed on O'ahu (wife), the year I left the service to make some money. Hawaiian and Pearl Harbor Navy started that for me in my lil computer store in 1993-1997 and I am so thankful. Hawaii is glorious, gas prices stink, bread and milk is outragous and I would go back in a second. I would have no use for Hydroponics or Indoor if I could just get a home with a nice backyard with that rich rich soil.

Crown Royal, you are correct, it is the world's next TAX HEAVEN. The government is pricing us out of ciggs. Alcohol will never have a problem, but our New President, silently and quickly right in office, tacked on tobacco taxes that are just out of this world. I smoke the cheapest things I can buy now and they are 22 a carton and used to be 13. A 10.6 ounce can of Danish Export, I paid 15.80 a can, it is now 48 bucks. Healthcare, it could or should be able to be paid for with just this Tobacco tax.

Marijuana will be a win win and it seems only our Western States in the USA Get it. Arnold Gets it. People will not care the price, because 28 grams of dro, even taxed to hell will not be $350 a sack, as it is today I am told. I do not have the answers, I just know at 50 years old, I would like to stop being a criminal by sitting in my own home, by myself, watching NCIS or other entertainment and not be breaking the law. That is just crazy. Cheers to you all, some great people here...not to mention the BEST information on the Net.
 
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