How Can Weed Legalization Make the World a Better Place?

By “World” we mean, every biological organism. From patients who require Cannabis to investors tryin’ make a buck from the plant.

We are eight mainislands surrounded by water. Tightly controlled and policed by local county mayors a few have control over the many. Cannabis is not regulated here the same way it is regulated in “legal states.”

We are a medical-only state with eight investment teams controlling the statewide dispensary market. They sell to licensed patients in Hawaii or visitors who get a state license to use Cannabis “medically” while visiting.

Our home market is comprised of about 30,000 licensed patients. We have been given an affirmative defense to prosecution. Meaning you are rarely allowed to say you were licensed in a courtroom. It’s only happened one time. If you can follow a confusing mix of non-dispensary rules, regulations and laws across various websites you can piece together what is legal and what is not. Ultimately no one knows. Ask any attorney. So confusing and conflicted that our state has been sued every year since the dispensary program was created. We are essentially paying the state to run a program that funds the state attorney’s office.

Nevertheless, each licensed patient can grow up to ten plants. That’s 300,000 possible plants in the home market. Math quickly reveals that the largest opportunity for investors is in the home market. However, “investors” in the home market are really licensed patients growing for other licensed patients in a cooperative manner. Up to 50 plants as of the time of this writing (July 5th, 2020) can be grown on a single property as defined by the tax map key. If the property owner is a licensed patient they can grow their ten plants and ten plants for up to four other patients for a total of 50 plants.

Each patient in this scenario must pay around $300 for the doctor recommendation and state license fees. We’ll use $300 for our baseline although your cost may be higher or lower.

$300 x 5 patients = $1,500 in fees

Stay with me. These baseline costs are foundational to understanding how Cannabis legalization could affect Hawaii. Our nearest neighbors are all legal states eg; California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii’s so-called, “ninth island” Las Vegas, NV.

Legal states aren’t all the same but they are similar at this distance. We’ll use California since it’s often the cheapest flight and also the world’s fifth largest economy. That’s a big deal when considering how Cannabis legalization can make the world a better place.

In California state fees vary greatly depending on the license type eg; growing licenses, processing licenses, distribution licenses or retail licenses. There are flavors and fees for each license and sub-license type. Going back to our 50 plant model in Hawaii we quickly realize that patients in the Hawaii’s home market do not need a separate license for growing, and processing.

In California, a license to grow up to 50 plants requires a lengthy application. This is not the same kind of application we fill out in Hawaii to grow. Hundreds of pages are required to explain in detail your plans for growing. The application fee to grow up to 50 plants is $240. If your application is approved you will then pay $2,410 per year to keep your “state” license.

Each county regulates Cannabis in California differently. Some don’t allow and set borders separating neighbors who can and cannot grow. Some counties have long wanted and now regulate Cannabis growing. We haven’t compared costs between counties. If you have that information please share. We’ll randomly pick Mendocino County in Northern California, part of the famous Emerald Triangle.

In Mendocino, California no less than 7 county agencies must be applied to for a permit to grow. Once you have your state fees ($2,650) keep your wallet out for the county. The county will need to review your plans. Nearly every application at the County level requires fees. The fees are not published online. Interested parties are asked to call the County for pricing. We did not. Please share if you know.

Dealing with counties can be a nightmare for anyone. For patients it means risking going to jail for simple things like medicating at the wrong time or in the wrong place or growing one more plant than legally allowed. Can you possibly imagine having attention deficit disorder on top of your debilitating health condition and trying to get a license to grow from the state and seven county agencies? It doesn’t happen.

They are supporting mentally and physically capable investors and business owners with enough cash to pay thousands of dollars per year to grow Cannabis. That’s legalization and it looks like this for those of us on a spectrum:

Hawaii Fees: $1,500 for up to 50 plants (current law as of July 5th, 2020)
California Fees: $2,650 for up to 50 plants + County fees and an intense application process requiring a “farm plan”. The Cali fees to “grow” do not include a processing license, a license to distribute or a license to sell through a retail location. There are both “Adult Use” and “Medical” licenses available and if somehow your investors can afford all four licenses, California offers a fifth license. Once you have spent around a hundred thousand in state and county licenses you’re “legal”. Unless you just want to grow 6 plants which are already legal.

Our neighbors and friends in California are waiting for Hawaii to legalize. The regulations and supply conditions in California have already shutdown nearly every small family farm. The home market in California has gone back underground. The only home growers unaffected are those growing fewer than 7 plants legally.

If one-tenth of one percent of currently licensed growers decided to move to Hawaii to grow we could expect an increased supply of quality Cannabis on each island within a year. Small growers would be affected here as the supply increase reduces the cost of Cannabis. We’ve watched in horror the ways legalization has hurt small family farms. Retailers have also gone out of business during supply disruptions and price adjustments.

Watching this happen in California reveals a truth that Hawaii has yet to fully understand. Government regulators are using laws of economics to quickly re-criminalize small family farmers. Arrests are up, not down.

The world’s 5th largest economy has gone on a regulator hiring spree from the support and money from large corporations capable of buying the markets. The world’s 5th largest oligarchy is not making the world a better place with legalization. The numbers tell the story best.

2018 6,000 all licensed growers (est reported)
2019 3,000 all licensed growers (est reported)
Research the California Cannabis portal.

The end. Kinda. This is two stories sharing the same headline. The story above was written by one person and the story below was written by another.

“Approaching cannabis legalization from different aspects is one of the best ways to enlighten many people about why it is high time to legalize the herb, which has been taunted for its many health benefits, including pain relief, nausea (chemotherapy) and wasting (AIDS) and more.

Almost every single day, scientists have been confirming how positive effects cannabis has even for cancer patients, who are noting how cannabis use is a salvation for them. Who are we to deny their cure access?

But we’re tackling the issue not only from one standpoint, although scientists and researchers since the late 90s have documented and reported how medical marijuana could help patients.

Then, we should take into account the economic impact of its legalization that in recent years you’ve probably witnessed global support shifting from anti to pro.

Researches and studies in the medical field have also highlighted how this herb is not causing serious addiction and that any withdrawal symptoms are comparatively milder and not life-threatening than those from quitting other drugs and alcohol are.

Who are we to judge those who enjoy themselves using concentrates? And why are we not skeptical at all in other drugs, such as nicotine from cigarettes and alcohol, which can also damage health? Is cannabis bad for health? Perhaps, it is. Well, it’s just like other drugs. If you use it for long periods and heavily at that, it could also make you sick.

And on technology, you can probably notice the introduction of many cannabis-related products on the market, and in fact, crowd projects are also being introduced every now and then.

Medical Issue

The legalization of cannabis will make the world a healthier place because it will support safer and healthier behaviors, such as the use of dry herb vaporizers and correct cannabis dosage for pain and ailments per doctor prescription.

Consistent, correct and clear information about cannabis use along with its benefits and risks will also be out.

Legalizing marijuana, consumers can ensure high-quality cannabis-based products, which would be free from harmful byproducts and pesticides present from the growing to the packaging process.

Shop operations will also be regulated and controlled.

The use of cannabis in workplaces and public spaces will also be included in the laws and policies for smoking and alcohol use.

Illegal growers using dangerous chemicals such as rodenticides and pesticides will be closed.

[These chemicals pose a threat to wildlife, environment and humans in general. Toxic substances scattered in forests are dangerous for human contact. For example, a substance in rodenticides, Carbofuran. It can cause nausea, convulsion and sometimes death.]

The Economic Aspect of Weed Legalization

Admit it or not, cannabis legalization can greatly affect the world’s economy. If marijuana businesses would be able to remit taxes to the government, more healthcare projects, school buildings and community efforts can be realized instead of cannabis income going into the pockets of criminal groups.

How much tax is involved? Let us take the Netherlands for example. Cannabis cafes in this country are making $3.2 million annually – and its government can collect up to 600 million in cannabis taxes.

Simply stated, if the same would happen in any jurisdiction and country, won’t legalization remit more tax money for better security and more jobs? Just take Colorado as another example. It has collected more than $500M on marijuana taxes since cannabis legalization and about 51% of it was used for education.

How Legalization Affects Organized Crime

In recent years, the legalization of marijuana in the US has made a big blow to the drug cartels of Mexico. Prices dropped by as much as 70% and its industry collapsed. The illegal dealers and operators suffered from the big hit. Before, drug cartels and other organized criminal groups had been receiving 70% of their total revenue from cannabis trade, profiting from the huge demand of the US where cannabis was heavily exported (70% supply from Mexico).

Today, this figure has dramatically dropped to only 20%. It only means that the partial cannabis legalization has wiped out much of the lifeblood of the cartel. Those illegal dealers without funds will close business soon.

Legalizing cannabis will make the world a better place

As the industry will be regulated, controlled behaviors will be possible. Correct and clear information on the risks and benefits of cannabis use will also be made available for the public. Revenue from it will be put into use for the betterment of government services including funding research, building school buildings and improving the healthcare system, among others. Legalization will also crack down illegal dealers and cartels that threaten the world’s security; that poses risks to environmental and human safety; and that increases crime rates.

Author Michael is a marketing and creative content specialist at GotVape.com with primary focus on customer satisfaction. Technology and fitness combined with a healthy lifestyle obsession are his main talking points.