'Canada's most valuable agricultural product'

November 5, 2003 7:47 AM

A good article from the wild-eyed radicals at Forbes Magazine. Capitalism and international trade is so cool, man.
posted by pooligan (16 comments total)

Anyone wanna take a guess how much time remains before marijuana prohibition caves in?

And what are the odds that Limbaugh can avoid prosecution upon graduation from rehab?
posted by BentPenguin at 7:56 AM on November 5, 2003

1: 4 years, 20 days.

2: Jimmy the Greek gives 3:1 odds that fat, white football commentators were bred by their masters to be idiots.
posted by msacheson at 8:05 AM on November 5, 2003

Good link pooligan, thanks. BentPenguin, surely in our lifetime, led by states like Oregon and Vermont and maybe Hawaii and Alaska. But federal endorsement, perhaps never.

Sometimes, here in Seattle, I feel like the only guy who isn't growing it myself. The Forbes article reminded me that maybe I ought to start.
posted by vito90 at 8:14 AM on November 5, 2003

Makes me proud to be an almost-Canadian. However, one thing that they don't mention is the risk that amateur growers run from having the Hells Angels (who are the largest form of organized crime here, and who are behind a significant proportion of the trade) try to muscle in or worse. I wish I could say it was all friendly anarchistic entrepreneurs as described in the article, but you hear stories about this all the time. But you know, this is still illegal, so it's hardly any surprise that crims are involved. There is a fairly simple fix for this problem.

Oh, and they are called "grow-ops", not "grows".
posted by pascal at 8:22 AM on November 5, 2003

> 4 years, 20 days.

In less time than that we'll have GM weed that grows methamphetamine.
posted by jfuller at 8:29 AM on November 5, 2003

a nine-month undercover investigation of paraphernalia vendors

Way-to-go, Co-lum-bo
posted by magullo at 8:36 AM on November 5, 2003

Ah, Vito...you are. And! You should.
posted by black8 at 8:55 AM on November 5, 2003

BTW, 3 pounds per light is quite a claim.

Humbling confession: this last summer I got half an ounce out of a nice-looking potted four-foot-tall White Widow grown *outside* in an Amsterdam terrace. Next year, I will switch nutrients when the buds appear. Those suckers are hard to please.
posted by magullo at 9:00 AM on November 5, 2003

black8, if only I knew where to start...
posted by vito90 at 9:07 AM on November 5, 2003

"The first time somebody gives you a bag of money so heavy that you can't lift it, it's surreal. Pretty soon, it's just dirty paper," says Jeff, who recently retired from smuggling up to a ton of weed a week

What's really surreal is Forbes giving advice on "Building the Perfect Bud" in that sidebar.
posted by pitchblende at 9:07 AM on November 5, 2003

I don't think it's that strange: while decidedly right-wing, I'd say the publication has always tended toward Libertarianism. All the more after Steve took over.
posted by yerfatma at 9:21 AM on November 5, 2003

GWB approaches podium: "Terrorists in the War on [some] Drugs are amassing at our northern border. Today we launched a full frontal assault on Canada..."
posted by ZenMasterThis at 9:51 AM on November 5, 2003

that sidebar

All part of a clever plot to render drugs obsolete by making reality sufficiently weird.
posted by trondant at 10:35 AM on November 5, 2003

An article about capitalism and illegal drugs is not particularly out of character for Forbes, so long as the pot isn't being grown by unionized workers (shudder!) or anything wacko like that.
posted by jengod at 1:20 PM on November 5, 2003

The Economist has long been one of the most articulate and sensible advocates for drug legalization. Read their excellent survey here.
posted by jcruelty at 1:49 PM on November 5, 2003

magullo: why white widow and not Jack Herrer? I've always found that far superior. I miss living within an hour's drive of the Netherlands.
posted by Goofyy at 12:33 AM on November 6, 2003