Texas is going adopt faster than many think, IMO. The reason is because Texas is too pro-business to block such a lucrative industry. Colorado is proving that it's not just about tax and licensing revenue it's also all the supporting businesses that are booming, since they also are no longer illegal. It's these support industries that the lobbyist are going to be advocating.
A secondary indirect effect, which will be huge.. Austin and the hill country will become silicon valley 2.0
Sadly even in a pro business state such as Texas lobbyists prevail. Just look at how Tesla has been kept out of Texas by the auto-industry lobbyists. Top 5 lobbyists who want to keep mar1juana illegal. http://www.republicreport.org/2012/mar1juana-lobby-illegal/ 1.) Police Unions: Spoiler Police departments across the country have become dependent on federal drug war grants to finance their budget. In March, we published a story revealing that a police union lobbyist in California coordinated the effort to defeat Prop 19, a ballot measure in 2010 to legalize mar1juana, while helping his police department clients collect tens of millions in federal mar1juana-eradication grants. And it’s not just in California. Federal lobbying disclosures show that other police union lobbyists have pushed for stiffer penalties for mar1juana-related crimes nationwide. 2.) Private Prisons Corporations: Spoiler Private prison corporations make millions by incarcerating people who have been imprisoned for drug crimes, including mar1juana. As Republic Report’s Matt Stoller noted last year, Corrections Corporation of America, one of the largest for-profit prison companies, revealed in a regulatory filing that continuing the drug war is part in parcel to their business strategy. Prison companies have spent millions bankrolling pro-drug war politicians and have used secretive front groups, like the American Legislative Exchange Council, to pass harsh sentencing requirements for drug crimes. 3.) Alcohol and Beer Companies: Spoiler Fearing competition for the dollars Americans spend on leisure, alcohol and tobacco interests have lobbied to keep mar1juana out of reach. For instance, the California Beer & Beverage Distributors contributed campaign contributions to a committee set up to prevent mar1juana from being legalized and taxed. 4.) Pharmaceutical Corporations: Spoiler Like the sin industries listed above, pharmaceutical interests would like to keep mar1juana illegal so American don’t have the option of cheap medical alternatives to their products. Howard Wooldridge, a retired police officer who now lobbies the government to relax mar1juana prohibition laws, told Republic Report that next to police unions, the “second biggest opponent on Capitol Hill is big PhRMA” because mar1juana can replace “everything from Advil to Vicodin and other expensive pills.” 5.) Prison Guard Unions: Spoiler Prison guard unions have a vested interest in keeping people behind bars just like for-profit prison companies. In 2008, the California Correctional Peace Officers Association spent a whopping $1 million to defeat a measure that would have “reduced sentences and parole times for nonviolent drug offenders while emphasizing drug treatment over prison.”
Just a side not, but has anyone else noticed the drop in weed prices lately? Back in high school (2009), one gram would run me $25 and sometimes 20. By 2010, it was mostly 20 or two for 30 bucks. Then say around mid 2011, I started getting them for 15 or two for 25. Then in 2013 it was 12 dollars for one, two for 20. Now I'm getting them for 10 bucks a gram. Four for 35. Can't wait until it is like Amsterdam or Vancouver, BC, with 5 dollar grams. It's great.
I don't smoke, but ALL my friends do. And I'm confident in saying that you're either not smoking good or you have a helluva hook up.
It is multiple dealers now. Like the folks inside the loop are all selling for 10 to 12 bucks a gram now, or have nice bundle deals. When I visit the burbs, it is still 15 a g. Just found it interesting. A trust me, it's that good. Can't even roll because my fingers are so sticky good.
And yall, don't forget about this: http://www.houstonnorml.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Global-mar1juana-March-Flyer-600.png I will be in attendance, so if yall want that $10 hookup
lol if you have ever paid over $20 for a g you are getting ripped off. dealers like to overcharge highschoolers because they are idiots, or maybe your dealer is moving up in the food chain and can afford to sell at cheaper prices.
Solid info. Thanks for that Yeah it will be a battle of lobbyists. But that's a win in itself. Most were worried about a Bible Belt boycot like what Utah would do We can see that the pro-MJ lobbyists have already notched a win by buying the bible beater congressman in the OP. He didn't turn on his own. Money made him turn I'll try to list the pro lobbyists later, with what they are doing. For now, consider this Energy / New tech Quality/Purity/Potency testing labs Security Banking
Alcohol companies are probably neutral to positive on this... beer and blunts, boom. Pharma is probably looking to patent delivery mechanisms of cannabis compounds. Police depts actually want to focus on real crimes.. their disappointing response times have them under pressure
I wonder, were it to be legalized, if many companies would change their drug policy at all? It wouldn't really mean anything for me because I still work at a place that does random drug tests and if it were to come up positive, even if the drug were legal, I'd be out the door immediately. But maybe if they legalize it they will revise their policy. Don't know.
It probably depends on how the policy was written. If it says 'illegal drugs' , then no revision is required but I am sure you still can't go to worth baked or drunk.
I too work at such a place. They have offices in Colorado and the policy is still the same. They do random pee tests and have let it be known that they might do a random hair test if they feel like it.
It'll depend on the culture of the industry and what role you're in... highly bureaucratic orgs such as most oil cos will probably still want their employees to be corporate sticks in the mud. But places around austin involved in innovation won't care as long as the work is good and the product sells.
