Economic/social implications of marijuana legalization

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2010/1011.gravois.html

Interesting article. I am particularly fascinated by the question of how normalization/legalization could/should be structured to allow the small, homestead grower to compete with Philip Morris.

I'm fascinated by the potential impact of industrial hemp.

I've read that marijuana might follow the cultivation model of tomatoes, with a serious amount of production by backyard growers, an industrial production model that results in a not-entirely-comparable commodity product, and a few specialty growers meeting the demand of particular niche markets.

I sincerely hope that some way will be found to undercut the narcotraficantes that have so thoroughly de-stabilized Mexico.

even here in Michigan it can grow in the wild, and lots of people illegally plant it in peoples corn fields and even in the woods and byways..they are finding huge plants in the fall by the hundreds every year..of course they make a bonfire and all the neighborhood gets high..

I also have mixed thoughts about legalizing it, i'm basically for it but can see some problems with the dumbing down of america..esp the youth

well the problem is that by making it illegal we are creating two large expensive industries with little other social benefits.
1) the industry distributing the stuff
2) the police industry to fight it
Now to add to that we would do a little better at keeping the youth off pot by policing it in the way we do alcohol while colecting a tax revenue.
the prohibition showed us the cost of making a societies drug of choice illegal but 90 years after the constitutional amendment to protect alcohol the traditionally preferred drugs of the non European societies that make up America are still illegal