Too High to Fail: Cannabis and the New Green Economic Revolution
by Doug Fine
The author is convinced we are at or near the tipping point for legalization of marijuana, especially medical marijuana. Half of Americans favor legalization, but only 1% of Congress does. But the War on Drugs has been a disastrous failure, costing many billions per year and fostering organized crime and corruption in our law enforcement agencies.
Obama's broken promise to turn the heat down on federal enforcement has infuriated many people, especially the residents of Mendocino County, CA, which has passed local laws providing for registration and taxation of medical marijuana farmers, legal under CA law. The sheriff supports the farmers, and sends officers to protect them from thieves. The process has enriched the county, with pot taxes paying enough to lift the county budget into a comfortable surplus. The argument is that the successful local experiment could work nationally if allowed, and could make a very significant dent in the federal deficit.
The author follows one plant, "Lucille," from a 4-inch cutting to maturity, flowering, harvest, trimming, and delivery to patients. It's an interesting story, with interviews and profiles of many of the people involved. It's told well and with wry humor from a very personal point of view.