You would think that Republicans would realize what a boon to Michigan's economy medical weed has been. How many new grow stores have opened? How many jobs have been created? How many tens of millions of dollars have flowed into our economy instead of Mexican cartels that people used to get their weed from?
They care more about protecting the status quot than advancing any cause that improves the quality of life for the citizens they supposedly represent. Marijuana being criminalized is BIG BIG business for many corrupt organizations and bureaucracies that stand to lose BIG BIG money if marijuana reform of any kind happens. Think about it: you get caught with a roach in your ashtray on a routine traffic stop and you're looking at around $2000 in fines to the state, $300-$500 to a lawyer to keep the shit off your record, supervised probation for a year, monthly drug tests, and possibly even drug classes. All this shit is just a big money vacuum funneling our dollars through every corner of the judicial system. Then let's talk about drug forfeiture laws...you get caught growing a few plants in your closet and you now face the possibility of having your cars, personal possessions, home, and bank accounts being seized your friendly local law enforcement department, and I assure you they won't even say thanks.
Law enforcement stands to lose a shit ton of annual funding because a large chunk of their enforcement in narcotics is dedicated to marijuana related 'crimes'. If those crimes are no longer crimes then they lose money for their department to carry out their nazi gestapo policies and that doesn't make the LEO brass happy. The judicial system encompassing lawyers, judges, court clerks, etc....all stand to lose jobs and money should marijuana become legalized and regulated.
Let's talk about the prison industrial complex....they love marijuana being illegal. That way when joe blow gets released from prison on parole and comes up dirty for marijuana on a drug test, right back to prison joe blow goes. That's job security for the prison guards getting paid $20 an hour to baby sit caged humans.
And for the grand finale, lets talk about the pharmaceutical industry and what they stand to lose if marijuana becomes legal (medical or otherwise)....
Marijuana is a much better drug for treating a variety of conditions from anxiety relief, insomnia, PTSD, depression...etc...You get the point. All of these large interest groups have far more power than citizen joe blow and that is the reason marijuana remains illegal. Remember, if you go back to the original reason back in the 30's that hemp suddenly became 'marijuana', you'll find that powerful interest groups were behind the push to make hemp illegal and change the name to something more exotic that americans weren't familiar with...marijuana. Thank the duponts, harry anslinger, willy hearst, and their scummy buddies for the last 75 years of bullshit in american drug policy.
