I still got a dalmation

First off, call me Libby...I realize you can't really get a nickname out of my username

I have one fear from what will come with the legalization of marijuana, and this is my one reason against. Whenever I read articles or posts for the legalization of marijuana, this never seems to come up. One of the arguements for legalization (as i'm sure you all know) is economical. How it marijuana would be a multimillion dollar industry, not to mention how it will stop part of the black market.

I've smoked cigarrettes for almost a year now, and I know that if I grew my own tobacco, dried it, rolled it and stuck a filter on the end it would not be as harmful to me as the pack of camels in my pocket. The same fat cats we're trying to convince to legalize are the same ones who like to monopolize. Nicotine is found in tobacco, but in trace amounts. Even roll your own tobacco has been treated and proccessed. Stuffed full of carcinogens and lovely nicotine to get you addicted.

If marijuana was ever legalized, I wouldn't for a second doubt that those fat cats would start to monopolize. Sure in Amsterdam you can sit in a coffee shop and buy great bud...but that bud isn't grown and processed on a corporate scale. My fear is marijuana will turn into what tobacco has become. Once it's legal and on it's feet, the selling of marijuana will become corporate, people who may have started out with coffee shops will probably be pushed out of business. It may not be addicting now, but I fear that those companies may just infuse our dear mary jane with other lovely addicting and harmful chemicals.
This may take years, but I still see it happening, especially in a capitalist country. If the roles were reversed, with tobacco illegal and marijuana being sold today by companies such as marborlo and camel...well I would think it would be the same fight for tobacco.

That's my fear, that's why at the moment I am against legalization. I have yet to see people who fight for legalization take this into account. And I have yet to hear someone who could convince me otherwise, but I'd like to hear what people have to offer. Maybe a legalization with some sort of limitation, to prevent additaves, but then again cigarrette companies got around that one...with ads saying 100% all natural...because everything they add you can find in very trace amounts...so they're just "enhancing". I just don't see a way to make it legal and at the same time stop marijuana from turning in an addicting/(more)harmful product like cigarrettes.

Lothar121

If I remember correctly, the way the Nevada initiative to legalize marijuana was written prohibited any additives to the cannabis being sold. I understand your fear, but I think your fear is overblown. The organizations and lobbies working for legalization are fighting for pure cannabis, not corporate cannabis. While you may argue the government and corporations may corrupt it, this is unlikely given that the tone in Washington is moving towards regulating tobacco despite the tobacco companies being against such regulations.

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Kaya Mon

Plus most marijuana smokers like the fact that it is an natural substance so, if marijuana was corporately made with additives there would be a lot of angry stoners.

Mindriot420

Well, I'd assume that the stoners would be aware of this, and people could start their own small businesses, that sell the actual, non-additive hemp? In my opinion, people tend to use substances when they are in their illegal. Also, marijuana is the most used recreational substance, and it's pretty much the same as regular tobacco cigarettes, sure, the effects include nausea, headaches, trouble focusing, and all those other messages schools teach to kids, but it's really, much better than cigarettes. These are just my personal beliefs.

Buzzby

You are incorrect about tobacco containing only trace amounts of nicotine. Cigars aren't treated and a typical cigar contains enough nicotine to kill five men if it were to be eaten.

The market will drive what it sold, as it always does. As marijuana contains no addictive substances, what makes you imagine that companies would be permitted to add addictive substances to it? It would be the scandal of the century!

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Trocisp

People could simply opt out of buying non-natural marijuana. It would be simple.

Go to your local Marijuana Market, and get Organically grown and cured marijuana.

Much like organic foods. Same deal.

Jake

Yeah, most chemicals added wouldn't be harmful, and would do nice things like provide for an even burn and things like that. No worries though because they'll be an "American Spirit" type of company.

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chadwick

ya its possible that eventualy they will start to add shit like in tabaco but if they do how many stoners do you know that would just sit their and take that they would just all start growing it in the backyard saving them money and keeping it all natural i hope it never becomes a corprate situation hopefully it will be kept just as it is in amsterdam with small coffee shops and hopefully starbucks wont start selling bud

SpiralArchitect

Why would they need to add any chemicals? If you grow and cure the marijuana properly there is no need for chemicals for 'even burning', 'flavor' or 'increased potency'. Adding ANY chemical to it would make me not want to buy it, 'harmless' or not, its a chemical and it's not something I want to be smoking other than 100% organic marijuana. I don't see this ever happening if MJ were to be legalized, one of best things about marijuana is about how NATURAL and SAFE it is - doing something like this wouldn't be economically feasible, and would seriously hurt sales for concerned smokers (Just about every TRUE stoner).

Besides... if it's legal why would you buy it from a business? Couldn't you grow your own if thats the case? I certainly would knowing no risks are involved. Ease of mind knowing where my product came from, and a sense of pride knowing I raised the plant.

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KWhite

I have to disagree with, or at least moderate your argument. Will Big Business get into the world of growing and distributing weed?

Let's hope so, that means a plentiful supply, and it means watch dogs (Journalists, government inspectors etc can find out if one of the Dastardly Companies is doing something nasty with pot- as they've done with tobacco.

My own dream is to be such a producer in the future, as soon as it is legal; and I have to tell you, see, to use tobacco as an example, that there are Winstons or Dorals and there are also fine, hand rolled cigars on the market and no one can force you to buy either of those let alone inhale the product of them burning.

I'd like to think my produce would be sought out because it is grown in all natural soils and trimmed/manicured by caring humans. that would be one of the business' ethical goals. I don't think I would be the only one to think that way either, entrepeneurs who are content to supply half a state, maybe, and be known as "The good stuff". I think a lot of fine, ethical people would step up and grow primo herb.

Being against the eventual legalization, if you are a marijuana smoker, becasue you don't want someone else to make a profit or because you fear they will put out an unadulterated product is like saying you want to remain a criminal, face all of those oh so harsh sanctions to YOU and your family that criminalization brings to YOU because you don't trust Business to not screw you.

No matter what the product, if we don't want to get ripped off we have the duty to check it out ourselves. Learning what I did of the tobacco industry throughout the eighties and nineties did eventually move me to stop smoking tobacco completely, a decision I do not regret. I informed myself and made a decision, chinese toys are another good example, currently- I walk by them, now, just as you would walk by an ounce of that "Overfertilized junk" put out by Company B for something better.

That they sell it, that it is available, is still far superior to the status quo in that-

1. First and foremost, if they do adulterate their weed, they can be held to account, there are the courts of law and, worse for business, there is the court of public opinion, the resulting bad publicity and the possible fall in sales. In a free market, there is no need to stick to a bad dealer- his or her competitor's product is probably laying right next to his on the same shelf.

2. Those damnable sactions are gone, you now have the freedom to pick your drug of choice and use it. If ending the drug war and enptying those prisons means I have to be as picky about who grows my weed as some are about who grows their corn flakes-

Then let's do it.

I hope that helps.

Kelly.