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• Colorado
• , Economy
• , Medical Marijuana

Could Marijuana Help Cure an Ailing Economy?

December 11th, 2008 by Perry

Since 2000, medical marijuana has been used in the state of Colorado with the passage of Amendment 20.

Noting a number of businesses struggling in the region with layoffs and cutbacks, Fort Collins article ‘The Dope on Dope‘ says that medical marijuana is one sector that continues to thrive.

Despite a recent $1.15 million-dollar raid, the largest in the area, growers, distributors and customers continue to do business completely unimpeded with almost no noticeable disruption in supply.

High Times senior editor David Bienenstock gave simple reasoning for the market’s resiliency:

For a lot of people who have lost a job, the idea of growing their own job is extremely attractive…

Depending on where they live there are various risks, but when people are forced out of the main economy, they will enter the gray economy.

He also posited that medical marijuana is likely to be one of the last things to go when people are asked to scale back their budgets. I wouldn’t be surprised if that were true.

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1. justaweedhead420 Says: December 11th, 2008 at 3:42 pm lmao im in college and besides my phone bill, weed is the only thing i spend my money on

   
   

2. justaweedhead420 Says: December 11th, 2008 at 3:42 pm but it would def save the economy easily

   
   

3. Jeff Says: December 11th, 2008 at 6:07 pm One of the biggest reason Marijuana will be kept illegal, besides providing $$ for private run prisons, is because of the fact that Medical Marijuana and Industrial Hemp farming would save our economy. Then even the nay sayers will say, “Why didn’t we do this earlier?” “Maybe the Feds were lieing to us about marijuana and its affects all along?” I know I am not only willing to spend my last dollar on marijuana but also willing to risk imprisonment and forfieture of money and property to control the chronic nausea and vomiting I suffer from due to Diabetic Neuropathic Gastroparesis (Paralyzed Stomach.) I have been on Marinol for years, the strongest strength they make 10 mg. Marinol is like sugar pills when it comes to the safe, effective and immediate relief I get from chronic nausea when inhaling marijuana vapors/smoke. Get this, my digestive specialist gave me a prescription to control daily nausea then proceeded to tell me, “Do not take Regalen/Metoclopramide on a regular basis for it causes Irreversible Parkinson like shakes and tremors,” and this is legal?!?! There is NO drug in exsistence today that safely and effectivly controls chronic nausea and vomiting except for “Whole Cannabis.” Don’t believe me? Ask your pharmacist. Inhaled marijuana vapors or smoke works immeiatly in relieveing nausea thus stopping the vomiting and incresing my appitite (which is non exsistent) unless I use Marijuana. It is ignorant, prejudice, cruel and sadistictly insane to continue “Marijuana Prohibition” and lock up non violent citizens for possession of Marijuana for personal use. People like Sen Chuck Grassley (R-Ia) and Mark Souder (Congreesman/Ind) who live in the “Reefer Madness” mode make people like me suffer greatly simply because they refuse to open thier minds (they don’t have hearts) to the facts of Cannabis and the EndoCannabinoid system in the human body. The hypocracy of the “War On Drgs” is blantant when the U.S. Government legalizes alcohol but will not destroy the Marijuana Black Market by legalizing Marijuana. It truely shows how sick we as a people were/are in the 30’s and 40’s when alcohol prohibiton was repealed and booze and nicotine were the drugs of choice for our society. Yet Marijuana, against the recommendation of the AMA (yes the American Medical Association,) and many other groups was placed in a Schedule I catagory. But SMILE because the DEA is being sued, even as I type this, for not removing Marijuana from Schedule I since it no longer meets Schedule I requirements, i.e. “Marijuana DOES have an accepted medical use in the U. S, is not addictive, not fatal nor spawns any other diseases fatal or otherwise. Not to mention Marijuana is NOT toxic to the body like alcohol and nicotine are. So I say to the U.S. Government legalize Marijuana NOW and remove Marijuana from the political arena and put it into the medical arena where it truely belongs. You close minded idiots!!!

   
   

4. Clarke Says: December 11th, 2008 at 8:05 pm I really like the point that people have turned to growing Cannabis in an entrepreneurial spirit, due to unemployment. Makes total sense, good article!

   
   

5. Kiefer Says: December 12th, 2008 at 9:35 am Grow herb!

   
   

6. matt mernagh Says: December 14th, 2008 at 7:37 pm it’s true an economic downturn has more people growing grass or selling it. best all the people participated in an underground economy will spend the money. all that cash gets pumped back into the economy. it’s time to legalize and allow people to earn a living without fear of jail.

   
   

7. justaweedhead420 Says: December 15th, 2008 at 8:02 am here here matt

   
   

8. Angelica Says: December 18th, 2008 at 4:55 pm I am a senior doing my research report paper on marijuana and the positive things that come from it. Do you know any other site I could visit to retrieve information on more ways marijuana helps the economy.

   
   

9. Alex Says: December 18th, 2008 at 5:11 pm @Angelica – check out all of the major marijuana reform organizations for statistical research: Marijuana Policy Project, NORML, Students for a Sensible Drug Policy, etc… Let us know how it turns out. Good luck!

   
   

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