RUSH: Do you know what the largest crop in California is? What is the largest crop in California? Brian? Marijuana is exactly right. No, and listen to the numbers. And I’ll tell you why this is important, because the state of California has got this $42 billion budget deficit, and the assembly realizes they’re getting no tax money for it. They’re considering decriminalizing it for the purpose — this is how it all happens. This is how you get rotten socialist economic policies, which lead to the cultural rot of a society. Marijuana is California’s largest cash crop. It is valued at $14 billion annually. That’s nearly twice the value of California’s grape and vegetable crops combined! And these are government statistics. “A recent report pegged marijuana as two-thirds of the economy of Mendocino County, a ganja hotbed north of San Francisco. That’s not surprising — it costs $400 to grow a pound of pot that can sell for $6,000 on the street.
“But the state doesn’t receive any revenue from its cash cow. Instead, it spends billions of dollars enforcing laws pegged at shutting down the industry and inhibiting marijuana’s adherents. Of course, there’s a reason for that. Marijuana’s social costs may include addiction and rehabilitation treatment and lost productivity. Yet these are minute compared with the extensive social costs of alcohol or tobacco. Of course, just legalizing pot wouldn’t automatically harvest revenues for the state. An organized system of regulating sales and collecting taxes would need implementing. And it’s possible that general drug use could rise, though the debate that pot is a gateway drug to harder substances is inconclusive. … Put it all together, and California could potentially wipe some $3 billion off its budget deficit by letting its people puff and pay,” on the largest crop in the state of California. Whoa. As I say, this is how it happens. Economic disasters, bad economic decisions, lead to a cultural rot, as all of this devolves.
I’m a huge fan of irony. So you can imagine my delight to hear someone who was loaded on up to 30 Oxycontin a day lecture me about “cultural rot” from legal marijuana.
It’s an even bigger irony that Rush Limbaugh escaped any charges for illegally “doctor shopping” for those prescriptions and using his maid to pick up the scrips through a rarely used deferred prosecution. Unlike a deferred judgment, where you plead guilty and then if you keep your nose clean for a time you’re not punished, with a deferred prosecution, Rush wasn’t even charged nor did he have to plead guilty to anything, so long as he kept his nose clean for eighteen months. It’s like the fact that Rush Limbaugh “received about 2,000 painkillers, prescribed by four doctors in six months” never even happened because he promised to be good.
Meanwhile, in California, where economic disasters are leading to the “cultural rot” that would even consider legalization of a plant infinitely safer than oxycodone, Dr. Molly Fry, Charles Lynch, and Eddy Lepp aren’t lucky enough to get the Rush Limbaugh treatment when they’re caught helping sick people obtain cannabis legally under state law. They get prosecutions, judgments, and stiff prison sentences.
I am a 70 year old Air Force Vet who smoked Marijuana for the first time when I was 27.It was introduced to me by a freind at a very difficult time of my life…the idea that the social costs of legalization of pot would be as high as alcohol or tobacco is not reasonable besides, the PDR states that Marinol, a legal drug consisting of THC has the adverse reactions of easy laughing, elation and heightened awareness…who would want that right?…Frank
I agree with you that legalization is a “roots conservatism” issue, and we could discuss Milton Friedman and William Buckley as prime examples.
But the only way I can accept “Rush is right a majority of the time” is if we define “the time” to include moments in the entire 24-hour day when he is either silent or sleeping. Anyone who finds “Barack the Magic Negro” and “Barney Fag: The Banking Queen” funny like Rush does is in serious need of therapy.
Excellent point Keith.
In actuality, Rush sounded more in favor of legalizing it than not, he was only commenting on what alot of people would say about it. He did, in fact mention how small the “problem” would be compared to alcohol n tobacco. And that being labeled a gateway drug is inconclusive. He is right the majority of the time, which you’ll once you hear him for awhile. I think the time has come to ask him, “since conservatism is about limited government, and keeping the government from poking into every aspect of our lives, then legalizing pot IS IN FACT A CONSERVATIVE MOVE.” ;)
Rush Limbaugh is a junkie but that’s OK because oxcycodone has an “accepted medical use for treatment in the United States.” That’s why every state in the country has at least one Methadone clinic. Only Wyoming and Montana are without a Methadone clinic within their borders. Society accepts opiate addiction because it is real. Their is no painful withdrawals from Cannabis so there is no rush (pun intended) to legalize Medicl/Recreational Cannabis. The plain fact that Cannabis is non toxic, non addictive yet extremely therapeutic to the body actually allows politicians to drag their feet before the public has had enough. It’s obvious politicians would rather not touch the “Marijuana Topic” for fear of political suicide. This is the largest, most important and final hurdle we, as Cannabis Legalization Activist’s, will have to conquer. Once the “Reefer Madness” crowd in congress either dies off or is replaced with educated non prejudicial politicians, who put science and medical facts before political and religious dogma, we’re home free. Yes I know its easier said than done, and I know Cannabis will be legalized and sold to adults/or prescibed by a doctor in the future. I just hope and pray I live to see it. At age 55 I stand a good chance of it. For only time will remove the stigma so successfully attached to Marijuana by the feds and the media. Keep up the good fight my friends…Peace…
Something is definetly wrong with our country as your comments about Rush pointed out.
We also all know about the Michael Phelps saga and Kellogg dropping him!
Yet here is another irony that sickens my stomach. In todays NY Post in the many articles about A-Frauds press conferance on Tuesday where he continued to stick his foot in his mouth Don Hooton, president of the Taylor Hooton Foundationis shown shaking hands with the tainted A-Fraud.
In the related article that states Hooton “has reached out to the tainted super-star to help raise awareness about steroid use among high-school athletes”. Hooton states “we think he is a very credible spokesman.’
Wow go figure that one out!
How true, sad but true.