There’s a marijuana industry? Do they make anything besides Cypruss Hill t-shirts?

Yes. They make Money.

about 40 billion a year, actually. All from a plant that can be grown by any idiot out there (yes, even you!) Unlike tobacco, which can t really be grown and processed by the laymen to a palatable degree.

But i know, you dont like these sorts of specifics getting in the way of your ‘potheads are hella stupid’ thesis, and’ ‘Marloboro is going to package joints and sell them under new regulation’ theory.

I never said the first, and Mat implied the second.

˙≤∂∆ß≥ ˚ å∂ßå ˙ - 25 October 2009 11:55 PM

oh bugg, you and your foolish simplifications, like comparing the tobacco industry and marijuana industry. silly man.

grow some god damned pot in your front year.

I think someone’s already growing something somewhere.

Or there is something wrong with his keyboard.

You forgot the other option, YES : Let people just grow it, smoke it etc.  Of course it will have to be taxed and regulated as everything is.  NC is primed for it.  And, no, i really don’t smoke pot.  I just think it makes sense economically for the state.

Marijuana Tourism could be a serious economic windfall for WNC.  It would employ farmers, giving them a very feasible alternative to selling their land to golf course and mcmansion developers. This alone would generate an enormous increase in spending in the region at grocery stores, car dealerships, etc etc etc.  It could also generate a significant amount of tax dollars for the city if they legalized it within city limits and it could only be purchased at a few city-run stores.

We need some local politicians willing to move forward with this, at the state level.

Agriculture Tourism

Carrie - 29 October 2009 02:22 AM

You forgot the other option, YES : Let people just grow it, smoke it etc.  Of course it will have to be taxed and regulated as everything is.  NC is primed for it.  And, no, i really don’t smoke pot.  I just think it makes sense economically for the state.

I do smoke weed. But I still fail to see how the state would tax or regulate something that can be grown anywhere, including in a closet in my finished basement behind the laundry room but not next to the music room.

well, if it was completely decriminalized, it would indeed by difficult to impossible to tax. But if you follow the model that is working pretty well in california, you have state-run ‘storefronts’, as well as county-run regulation for growers, all of which get their little bureaucratic cut.

Bugg, i know a guy who wants to sample your strains.