United Liberty

MSNBC.com has a report talking about how medical marijuana is the new “blockbuster” drug.  Sales of the leafy controlled substance has amounted to $1.7 billion.  Not exactly something to sneeze at, though getting the munchies is certainly understandable.  From the report:

There is a noticeable aroma wafting around the medical marijuana industry. It’s the smell of money — with a strong hint of entrepreneurial opportunity.

Medical marijuana is now a $1.7 billion market, according to a report released Wednesday by See Change Strategy, an independent financial analysis firm that specializes in new and unique markets. The figure represents estimated sales of marijuana through dispensaries in states with medical marijuana laws. It is the first time a definitive dollar figure has been given to the emerging medical cannabis industry.

To put that number in perspective, sales of medical marijuana rival annual revenue generated by Viagra, a $1.9 billion business for Pfizer.

I don’t think anyone thinks $1.7 billion is chump change, and that’s because it isn’t.  That’s a $1.7 billion influx into the local economy in a method that pays taxes, can be ensured to be safe for the user, and doesn’t involve violence over turf wars or bad deals.

Just imagine what the sales would be like if it were completely legal.  Wouldn’t that be something?

Here is an awesome parody video by Reason.tv (the online video arm of the libertarian Reason Magazine) about the economic stimulus package. Even if you support the stimulus package, you still should be able to appreciate the creativity in this mock ad. With the pro-stimulus agents seemingly have created an environment where passage is all but inevitable, using this type of humor is perhaps one of the few ways that the anti-stimulus crowd can get their message to stand out. As Politico points out — this ad would had been taken to another level if they had a Bob Dole cameo.

It looks like hearts and minds aren’t the only body parts America is trying to win:

 

In their efforts to win over notoriously fickle warlords and chieftains, the officials say, the agency’s operatives have used a variety of personal services. These include pocketknives and tools, medicine or surgeries for ailing family members, toys and school equipment, tooth extractions, travel visas, and, occasionally, pharmaceutical enhancements for aging patriarchs with slumping libidos, the officials said.