I definitely agree that legal weed will not save the world. I also don't actually believe that it will save the economy, but it certainly won't hurt. I think what you are missing is that regulation would be the key to legalization's effectiveness. You may not be aware of this, but distilling your own liquor is very much illegal. Close to half of the final price of a bottle of liquor goes to taxes. If your caught with your own still you can be arrested. Also, liquor is not as hard to distill as you would think, just as quality pot is not as easy to grow. If you go South of the mason-dixon on the east coat you will find that untaxed moon shine is readily available. For almost no investment, someone could be churning out several thousand gallons of moonshine a week. Even so, not many people drink it, and its affect on total liquor sales is minimal. Just like in Amsterdam, many people would not have the means or desire to grow their own. Prices would remain similar to what they currently are, but quality and availability would increase. There would certainly be people who skirted the regulations and avoided taxes, but there would also be a significant market for those who didn't. Without a doubt, the tax revenue generated would be substantial.

That's my point. If weed was legal, they would not be buying it from people like Missy, they would be buying it from people like the proprietor of your local liquor store. Just because it is legalized, doesn't mean it shouldn't be regulated. In Amsterdam its legal and regulated, and if you go into one of the hundreds of coffee shops you are going to be paying the same price that you do in the US. Legalize it, regulate its growth and distribution, and tax it. Explain to me how that wouldn't work. Thinking that the weed you see growing like dandelions is anything like that weed you smoke is absurd.

I can imagine that in different areas of the world mountain bikers are perceived differently. That being said, I don't know anyone who perceives mountain bikers as dirt bags. I also don't know anyone who isn't into mountain biking that knows the story of Rockwell. My point is that most people are not going to change their opinions because of one "bad seed". There are going to be just as many kids playing basketball, baseball, and football even with the Vicks and Bryants. I think it is a parents job to be a role model, not an athletes. I think its great when athletes are positive role models, but that's not what they are getting paid for.

Don't hate the playa, hate the game! Just kidding, but I don't see how what she is being charged for, don't forget that we are innocent until proven guilty, changes what she accomplished as a rider. I would argue that her "business" was more legitimate than many legal business ventures. Unlike many of the financial institutions which pander bullshit, she was selling a tangible product that will always be in high demand. With cannabis, what you see is what you get. There is no deception and no over leveraging of you debt to equity just to turn a quick profit. What is unfortunate, is that because marijuana is criminalized, that 400 pounds was likely purchased from a Mexican cartel. If the stuff was legal and taxed, that would have been 400 pounds of US grown herb and the government would have gotten their cut. Figure about 40% of that million would go to income tax in addition to whatever the tax was on the actual product. Since marijuana is already the number one cash crop in the US, even with people like Missy buying hundreds of pounds from Mexico, we are talking a lot of tax money going to the government along with a huge reduction in the amount going to the various cartels. Fight crime and save the economy by legalizing one plant, forget about an economic stimulus package, legalize that shit already.