Wanting Weed

Wanting Weed

The Marijuana Take Over

By

Sengbe Ben Yosef

After many years of fighting to legalize marijuana, it seems the proponents of legalizing weed are on the cusp of a huge victory in the fight to legalize marijuana. However, even before they people who have worked the hardest and sacrificed the most can raise their glasses to celebrate, big business looks poised to jump in and take over. The states that have legalized the use of recreational weed, they have seen a boom in their economies and have made large amounts of money. In Colorado, one of the first states to legalize pot for recreational use has already seen the profit of legal weed to the tune of nearly a billion dollars in the first year. If all of the states pondering legalizing marijuana come online the pot business could become a 30 plus billion dollar industry overnight.

Sounds like a win, win situation for everyone involved, right? But it may not look so good when large corporations enter the picture. They have already started looking down states and lawmakers to try to corner the market and shut the small growers out of the game. In my opinion, it would be a tragedy if the people who risked everything to get legalization of the table got pushed out of the pot industry. The prospect of that happening seems totally unfair given the fact that some of these same corporations and their owners may have fought against the small marijuana farmers in the early goings of the fight to legalize weed. I sincerely hope that small businesses are not shut out by the large agricultural companies.  I hope lawmakers work to make sure the little guy can stay in the picture.

Outside of that one issue, I believe that weed could be good for the overall economy of this country especially given the fact that America doesn’t have many homegrown industries left in this country. Just think if lawmakers don’t drop the ball this could be a boost to our struggling economy and a way for smaller business owners to get back some of what was lost during the collapse of Wall Street. This could also be a way back for the American worker and may alleviate some of the fanatical hardships the people have endured over the last few years. I want to see this industry grow and blossom in our struggling economy but if that means it’s going to become one more thing that the masses of the people are shut out of then I don’t want to see it happen. This movement to legalize marijuana needs to stay in the hands of the people who have suffered the most and work the hardest. This industry should not become just another means for business to shut out those whom they deem unworthy.

So legalize marijuana because the people want it and it’s the most responsible thing to do when you consider that the alternative to legalization hasn’t worked. Think of the money that could be made if we execute this properly. Think of all of the jobs that could be created for the people and the lower crime rates because people will have dignified work instead of hopelessness. Think of the courts and law enforcement and all the resources that could be freed up to deal with more pressing issues in our communities. Think for the weekends and less drunken bar fight and more happy times. This is just the opinion of one former pot head and dealer who would like to see a change in this economy for all people. Plus I don’t big business growing my weed.