Team America Fuck Yea!!!
Just kidding. I'm not sure that the Government can set up a monopoly on cannabis. This is a violation, I would think of antitrust laws. Unless they had a patent on a genetically altered plant and patenting a crop- don't know if genetic tempering could nullify this- but this is pure speculation on my part, not an antitrust lawyer. The Government can tax it, but the uniform controlled substance act of 1970 might have to be repealled to make that a possibility- again speculation- the feds often use taxation as a form of coercion as they did with the tax act of 37' and to ensure compliance With The Afordable Care Act.
Now the state can tax- not a bad source of revenue given the state of state's coffers these days.
When Prop 19 was voted against in CA- the argument was ostensibly that RJ Reynolds would take over the cannabis trade, quality would suffer grass roots growers supplying dispensaries would disappear. If anyone would disappear it would be cartel grow ops ravaging national and state forests, trully, not just nat geo propaganda, as would their inferior product that ignores the concept of terroir and try to maximize profit growing off season.
Really if you see the counties where prop 19 failed- emerald triangle and other grow counties among the ultraa conservative ones- too much tax free money to be made by the underregulated growers in my opinion. If I'm right prop 19 was derailed by a bunch of self serving uncompassionate, unpatriotic scumbags. Is traitors too harsh a word?
Prop 215 wasn't a complete law- I think the above poster is on the right track with his thought process, Get this passed and let the details get sorted out. However the feds react, if passed this is a shot that will be heard around the world. A warning shot across the bow of prohibition, tyranny, and the drug war as a whole...our longest war... a war without end. If we present a United Front we might just finnaly sink this rat infested ship.
Rememeber revolutions have been known to start this way... and in the USA its hard to justify going against the voice of the majority, a little something called the 10th Ammendment not that they haven't gone around it over the last like 150 years.
Oh, and the Tobbacco companies, their greatset support and consumer base is in the bible belt. My ammateur analysis is that they would be reluctant to compromise that group because whatever income they can make off cannabis would be legligible in comparrision. Most likely they would produce mass produced outdoor scwag,
For kind outdoor and indoor there would always be a connoisseurs product. One need only look to the wine industries of California or France as a model. Gallo as opposed to Silver Oak or some great Vinyeards from Rutherford in Napa, ect... And there may arise a niche market for the classic landrace strains of yesteryear.
Here is a BL article on what the future can hold
http://Terroir and Cannabis
This is an example of what the future can hold if cannabis gets the legitamacy it deserves. Terroir is a term used by wine makers and producers of other fine luxury products. It denotes the effect of micrclimates, seasonal variations, soil, sun exposure, ect... on strains. Got off slow but turned into a very informative thread, especially by the 2nd and 3rd page. Probably alien to new tokers raised on sour diesel and green crack.
