On this "crossover" episode with Bob Murphy of the Bob Murphy show, Adam and Bob talk about the effects (societal and economic) of drugs and drug prohibition.
There's a lot to unpack here. I voted to legalize cannabis in Colorado without hesitation. And I did so knowing that it would be stamped, taxed and tracked. Not the libertarian utopia, but certainly better than locking some people up and ignoring others. And more honest than the medicinal marijuana industry with the "consultation with a physician" over zoom to get your card (which didn't go away, if you can get a medical card you don't have to pay the taxes, so there's still some incentive to suffer from anxiety).
Anyway, Colorado's marijuana laws are pretty strictly enforced, and they say usage among teens is down. But there are people who I'm fairly certain go through life high all the time -and not just Democrats! (rim shot)
The small town where I live was the first stop on I70 east from Utah to allow dispensaries. This led to a tourist boom from western states and seven pot shops, in a town of 1,390 (Wikipedia/2020 census). There was a little bit of a boom, at least until other states began unwinding their marijuana laws. Now things have settled down, but it still must be a profitable business. Not too many shops close down, at least. The way the laws are set up, a dispensary has to grow their own product, and each one is its own entity. This has led to some creative business structures, where the shop is renting from a landlord that also happens to "specialize" in renting retail space to other shops.
I don't think many people who voted for legalization thought it would lead to a retail pot establishment. But the way the law is written it pretty much requires a retail space. The law won't allow for advertising, so it still feels a little less in your face (as compared to Las Vegas where the gentlemen's club billboards are all pot shops now), and you're not supposed to consume it in public spaces. As with everything, there are loopholes.
So to summarize:
The good: Legalization took away a lot of the mystique around the drug. Seeing grandma and papa lighting up to help with their "arthritis" takes away a lot of the charm.
The bad: Because most banks won't do business with pot shops, they are all-cash businesses. This attracts a fair bit of good old fashioned robbery. All the retail pot must be grown in greenhouses, which has led to neighborhoods that reek of marijuana and in the wintertime massive grow-lights that are really annoying.
The ugly: Cannabis Sommelier is now a legitimate career.
There's a lot to unpack here. I voted to legalize cannabis in Colorado without hesitation. And I did so knowing that it would be stamped, taxed and tracked. Not the libertarian utopia, but certainly better than locking some people up and ignoring others. And more honest than the medicinal marijuana industry with the "consultation with a physician" over zoom to get your card (which didn't go away, if you can get a medical card you don't have to pay the taxes, so there's still some incentive to suffer from anxiety).
Anyway, Colorado's marijuana laws are pretty strictly enforced, and they say usage among teens is down. But there are people who I'm fairly certain go through life high all the time -and not just Democrats! (rim shot)
The small town where I live was the first stop on I70 east from Utah to allow dispensaries. This led to a tourist boom from western states and seven pot shops, in a town of 1,390 (Wikipedia/2020 census). There was a little bit of a boom, at least until other states began unwinding their marijuana laws. Now things have settled down, but it still must be a profitable business. Not too many shops close down, at least. The way the laws are set up, a dispensary has to grow their own product, and each one is its own entity. This has led to some creative business structures, where the shop is renting from a landlord that also happens to "specialize" in renting retail space to other shops.
I don't think many people who voted for legalization thought it would lead to a retail pot establishment. But the way the law is written it pretty much requires a retail space. The law won't allow for advertising, so it still feels a little less in your face (as compared to Las Vegas where the gentlemen's club billboards are all pot shops now), and you're not supposed to consume it in public spaces. As with everything, there are loopholes.
So to summarize:
The good: Legalization took away a lot of the mystique around the drug. Seeing grandma and papa lighting up to help with their "arthritis" takes away a lot of the charm.
The bad: Because most banks won't do business with pot shops, they are all-cash businesses. This attracts a fair bit of good old fashioned robbery. All the retail pot must be grown in greenhouses, which has led to neighborhoods that reek of marijuana and in the wintertime massive grow-lights that are really annoying.
The ugly: Cannabis Sommelier is now a legitimate career.
Great point about a society with less decay from above (government) would likely have less drug abuse by people who'd have to suffer under that decay!
Thank you!