Marijuana is top US cash crop

[Phlegm]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. growers produce nearly $35 billion (18 billion pounds) worth of marijuana annually, making the illegal drug the country's largest cash crop, bigger than corn and wheat combined, an advocate of medical marijuana use said in a study released on Monday.

The report, conducted by Jon Gettman, a public policy analyst and former head of the National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, also concluded that five U.S. states produce more than $1 billion worth of marijuana apiece: California, Tennessee, Kentucky, Hawaii and Washington.

California's production alone was about $13.8 billion, according to Gettman, who waged an unsuccessful six-year legal battle to force the government to remove marijuana from a list of drugs deemed to have no medical value.

Tom Riley, a spokesman for the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, said he could not confirm the report's conclusions on the size of the country's marijuana crop. But he said the government estimated overall U.S. illegal drug use at $200 billion annually.

Gettman's figures were based on several government reports between 2002 and 2005 estimating the United States produced more than 10,000 metric tons of marijuana annually.

He calculated the producer price per pound of marijuana at $1,606 based on national survey data showing retail prices of between $2,400 and $3,000 between 2001 and 2005.

The total value of 10,000 metric tons of marijuana at $1,606 per pound would be $35.8 billion.

By comparison, the United States produced an average of nearly $23.3 billion worth of corn annually from 2003 to 2005, $17.6 billion worth of soybeans, $12.2 billion worth of hay, nearly $11.1 billion worth of vegetables and $7.4 billion worth of wheat, the report said.

Gettman said the 10-fold increase in U.S. marijuana production, from 1,000 metric tons in 1981 to 10,000 metric tons in 2006, showed the country was failing to control marijuana by making its cultivation and use illegal.

"Marijuana has become a pervasive and ineradicable part of the economy of the United States," he said. "The contribution of this market to the nation's gross domestic product is overlooked in the debate over effective control."

"Like all profitable agricultural crops marijuana adds resources and value to the economy," he added. "The focus of public policy should be how to effectively control this market through regulation and taxation in order to achieve immediate and realistic goals, such as reducing teenage access."

Riley said illegal drug use was a "serious part of the economy," but he rejected the notion of an economic argument for legalizing marijuana.

He said marijuana use was an "inherently harmful activity" with serious physical and mental health consequences. He said more American teens were in treatment centres for marijuana dependency than for all other drugs combined.

[Spazz]

Yea YEa

[Spazz]

Im glad that 35 billion ended up in the hands of thugs instead of going somewhere useful. Who still thinks it should be illegal ??

[ClakarEQ]

I'm glad you finally proved my point. I had been saying that for several years and a few folks from a year or so ago kept calling BS on my reference to that.

[kinghooter00]

They need to legalize it already. I don't smoke pot but i don't see the problem with someone chilling in there house getting high and laughing at the news for an hour.

[Narrock]

[Lueyen]

Notice how the article breaks down the quantity vs value of marijuana but does not do the same for the compared products. The actual quantity of marijuana produced vs corn, wheat or even soybeans pales in comparison... one only needs to drive through an agricultural area to see that no where will you find the vast crops of marijuana like you do with other products. To give you an idea corn production in the US ranges in the 200+ million metric tons and wheat 50 to 75 million metric tons... vs the stated 10 thousand.

In making a comparison between staple agricultural crops and marijuana the author of the report fails to point out that difference, mainly I suppose because it takes the wind out of his sail, if one takes that information to the logical conclusion. The per unit value of marijuana is grossly inflated, this is mostly due to the illegality of it. If it were legalized the value would go down due to the loss of black market inflation.

Now what would be an interesting and serious financial research/report would be a comparison to tobacco, and the effects marijuana legalization would likely have compared to a somewhat similar product. A serious look at it would also project and make comparisons to revenue generated via taxes vs moneys generated by government confiscation of properties and moneys in drug busts. The old saying "money talks and bullshit walks" holds true, the movement to legalize marijuana would have a much easier time if it could show the government an increase in revenue that would not be diminished by expenses incurred socially due to legalization.... ie serious realistic comprehensive work would have to be done, and probably has been, but the reason we don't see it is the argument for legalization is not supported by it.

This report is laughable under any serious consideration, and I say that even though I'm in favor of legalization.

[Spazz]

chilling in there house getting high and laughing at the news for an hour

Thats totally the way to be after work homie. I havent smoked ina few days and im not sure how i feel bout it. Used to really bum me out to not smoke weed all day but seems as of late i could care less. I hate the holiday season it really weirds me out.

Regardless if the report is laughable just think of how much money that is and whos hands its in.

im in favor of legalization because 1 im a smoker and id rather not go to jail over some stupid shit. 2 i think the wod has gone on 2 long and its filling the prisons letting real monsters roam free and creating monsters out of druggies. 3 the damage done to the 2nd and 4th amendments by the wod is disgusting, and finally id rather not see criminals and cartels make all that paper.

What do you think of that mindia ?

[Narrock]

chilling in there house getting high and laughing at the news for an hour

Thats totally the way to be after work homie. I havent smoked ina few days and im not sure how i feel bout it. Used to really bum me out to not smoke weed all day but seems as of late i could care less. I hate the holiday season it really weirds me out.

Regardless if the report is laughable just think of how much money that is and whos hands its in.

im in favor of legalization because 1 im a smoker and id rather not go to jail over some stupid shit. 2 i think the wod has gone on 2 long and its filling the prisons letting real monsters roam free and creating monsters out of druggies. 3 the damage done to the 2nd and 4th amendments by the wod is disgusting, and finally id rather not see criminals and cartels make all that paper.

What do you think of that mindia ?

[Ginzburgh]

I'd rather pay a friend for pot than the government. Keep it illegal.

[kinghooter00]

i'd rather have a beer...

[Tossica]

I'll take both.

[Spazz]

Id rather skip the beer and get right to the pot.

[kinghooter00]

Pot gives me anxiety attacks. I used to be the biggest pothead, and thats why my name has been king hooter because of the big joints i used to roll but now it seems that when i try to smoke my chest caves in....
I don't get it... I guess i grew out of it...

I have to go to AA now....later

[Evermore]

[Sorina S]

Now if we could only find a way to run the internal combustion engine on it, we'd be good to go~

[Tossica]

Pot gives me anxiety attacks. I used to be the biggest pothead, and thats why my name has been king hooter because of the big joints i used to roll but now it seems that when i try to smoke my chest caves in....
I don't get it... I guess i grew out of it...

I have to go to AA now....later

I get this same effect from it sometimes.

[Markarado]

I used to be a heavy smoker, but these days it's quite rare for me to use it.

I believe that it should be legalized for a few very simple reasons: it has no serious health related side effects, it's healthier than tobacco or alcohol, and any damage done is done to the user alone.

It wouldn't be very hard to argue against these reasons, but a realistic and level headed argument would be hard to come by.

Mindia, you enjoy going out for a beer once in a while right? Nothing wrong with that.... Do you realize that alcohol impairs your judgement? I'm sure you do. And yes, I know that one beer isn't going to impair your judgement. Marijuana doesn't impair your judgement. You may act like an idiot, be unproductive, or simply dumb yourself up. Alcohol.... Alcohol... Alcohol... Repeat that word to yourself over and over again. What does THAT do to you?

[The Kizzy]

Im confused, if they have 18 billion pounds produced, and they came up with the figure 35 Billion dollars, wouldn't that be roughly $2 a pound, and not $1606 a pound?

[Phlegm]

Im confused, if they have 18 billion pounds produced, and they came up with the figure 35 Billion dollars, wouldn't that be roughly $2 a pound, and not $1606 a pound?

That 18 billion pounds is sterling pounds... british money. 35 billion dollars is approximately 18 billion pounds.