Lets take a look at some recent breakthroughs in the world of weed, shall we?

In Minnesota :

The House version of Minnesota’s medical marijuana bill passed the House Civil Justice Committee this morning in a voice vote with no dissenting votes. (link)

In Illinois:

The Illinois House Human Services Committee passed a bill Wednesday that would allow seriously ill patients with certain debilitating conditions who have their doctors’ recommendations to use medical marijuana without fear of arrest. (link)

So, lets put this in a national perspective, and see the trend that’s developing. Thirteen states now actually allow medical marijuana with a permit. Michigan passed this into law last November with a 63% yes vote mind you, thats no small margin. Iowa is considering some legislation this year. So it seems that the midwest is representing the next region that will see some significant change in the next few election cycles or sooner.

But its not just the Midwest, New Jersey and New Hampshire are  considering medical marijuana legislation. On top of this, since February 25th the Obama administration is pursuing a “non-interference” policy with any state marijuana laws.

In states where its already medically legal, people are looking at the economic benefit of taking it to the next level.

In Oregon:

House Bill 3247 would direct the state to establish and operate a marijuana production facility… [which would] bankroll the bud on the public dime and charge a weighty tax — $98 per
ounce — every time an approved patient makes a purchase. (via The Raw Story)

In California:

Democratic state assemblyman Tom Ammiano … introduced legislation last month that would legalize pot and allow the state to regulate and tax its sale.

Pot is, after all, California’s biggest cash crop, responsible for $14 billion a year in sales, [which] would bring in about $1.3 billion a year in much needed revenue, offsetting some of the billions of dollars in service cuts and spending reductions outlined in the recently approved state budget. (via Time Magazine)

Before cheering this positive development on the step towards legalization, its important to consider the way this will change the medical weed market. Right now patrons can grow their plants individually and there is often a local market of small growers in California or Oregon communities. Putting new legal standards and limitations on the market could dramatically change the way it works, potentially for the worse.

And, considering a 98$ per ounce tax, well lets just say it’ll be a bit more spendy then the blackmarketiers and medical community are used to.

However, this might be the only way to get weed out of the murky violent backstreet blackmarket and into mainstreet. Oregon State Representative Chris Harker, who supports the bill says,

“There are growing concerns that private grow sites are being misused for illegal marijuana sales, threatening the safety and well-being of legitimate participants in the program. (The bill) takes medical marijuana off the streets and into a safer and more secure environment.”

Perhaps this somewhat hyperbolic argument represents as a way to talk about ’safe weed,’ which in actuality changes the discussion in an important way. Instead of seeing marijuana as the negative, it instead implicates its ‘illegal’ environment as the problem. This is certainly a necessary shift that we’ll need to see in the way people talk about Marijuana in the public sphere (in the press and in politics), before we see a significant legal shift nationally.

We aren’t there yet, however. Lets not forget the recent ‘controversy’ of Michael Phelps bong photo. (Stupid Matt Lauer) I know I’m boycotting Kellogg’s now for more than just its Monsanto GMO scariness. (GMO politics, weed protest letter)

So its pretty interesting right now. Things are changing and probably for the better. Granted, I’m not interested in paying 100 dollars for an 1/8 of weed, especially if its to Philip Morris or some historically nefarious corporation, but we aren’t quite in a Philip K Dick future yet. Government control will certainly be an important first step in legalizing this drug.

I guess the question I have for Marijuana is : where do you see yourself in the next 5, 10 years ?