NPR: School Offers Classes on Cooking with Pot
More than a decade ago, California voters were the first in the nation to approve so-called “medical marijuana.” Since then, hundreds of prescription pot storefronts have sprung up across the state. And that’s now given rise to a new, one-of-a kind school in Oakland: Oaksterdam University trains students how to work in the medical marijuana industry.

Oaksterdam is the brainchild of Richard Lee. He’s a medical marijuana activist and pot dispensary owner.

The curriculum includes everything from lectures on the political and legal history of medical marijuana to the basic botany of cannabis, such as why a grower wants to identify and separate male from female plants.

The class is just one part of Lee’s vision to not only promote the medical marijuana industry, but also to revitalize this part of beleaguered downtown Oakland, which he’s dubbed “Oaksterdam.”

So much of fighting against the drug war boils down to economics.  As medical marijuana becomes more mainstream, more businesses will benefit from the taxation and regulation of cannabis.  Here in Oregon and California, we have ballot measures coming up in 2008 and 2010 that would ask the citizens of our states to tax and regulate marijuana similar to hard liquor.  When is the last time you ever heard of a segment of the population that is requesting to be taxed?

Many of our opponents don’t know much about marijuana except the lies the government has told them.  They don’t use and may not know anyone who does.  Therefore, when we approach decriminalization and relegalization, they don’t have a personal stake in the issue.  They are likely to believe the “reefer madness” scare tactics and remain opposed to our efforts.

That’s where the economics comes in.  We must show people how much drug prohibition is costing them personally - in money, taxes, crime, and violence.  Then we must show them that the alternative - taxation and regulation - will not only reap them profit personally, but also benefit society in general.  I have little catchphrases I use in my stump speeches and protests: “Tax the tokers to treat the tweekers!  Tax the reefers to pay our teachers!  Tax the pot so cops don’t get shot!  Tax the weed for the money we need!”