Mayor Robert Jacob behind the counter at Peace in Medicine
Photo by Max Whittaker, New York Times
Earlier this month the city of Sebastopol, California unanimously voted in Robert Jacob for mayor. Jacob, 36, is the founder and director of local medical marijuana dispensary Peace in Medicine. Consequently, he has become the first mayor in the United States to have a background in the medical marijuana industry. Sebastopol, a city an hour north of San Francisco, has a population of just over 7,500 and is known for its small town charm. Historically famous for its Gravenstein apples and plum orchards, this city has become home to Jacob’s thriving business. Peace in Medicine produces over 46,000 dollars of tax revenue for the small city, and Jacob has served in Sebastopol’s city council since 2012. With the evident economic prosperity of Peace in Medicine and the city’s election of Jacob, the industry of medical marijuana seems to be gaining influence locally. With twenty states legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes, and Colorado and Washington legalizing its recreational use in 2012, is it possible that the cannabis industry will grow to become as financially influential as traditional businesses, such as technology and agriculture? Will the medical marijuana industry produce more business owners that have the financial means to run for elected positions? How will the federal government, banning the legalization of marijuana on a national level, respond if this industry continues to expand and facilitate medical marijuana business owners to run for office?
Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/26/us/in-california-a-mayors-rise-is-a-sign-of-the-times.html?smid=pl-share
4 comments:
I think this is really interesting and you bring up some good questions. For one thing, I don't find it likely that the marijuana industry will become larger than technology and agriculture. Technology is extremely fast-growing, and has had an impact in nearly every aspect of our society. Agriculture is, well, food.
However, I do think that as country-wide acceptance of marijuana increases, more elected officials could have a foot in the marijuana (medical or otherwise) industry, yes. But I do think it will take a while before this is extremely widespread.
At this point, although marijuana is illegal under federal law, it seems doubtful that the government will step in. It's clear that at the moment, this is an issue best left to the states.
Like Amy, I think it's pretty unlikely for the pot industry to grow up to take over the world like tech or agriculture. Eventually the marijuana industry will grow up to be pretty sizable with innovative forms of pot, and I'm sure it will become a hot industry that will mirror those of alcohol and tobacco (big emphasis on branding), but people depend more on food and technology than on pot (hopefully). Regarding the crossover between the weed biz and politics, I would bet some good money that pot politicians/lobbyists are on the horizon. If or when some of the big-name companies in alcohol, tobacco, and maybe even pharmaceuticals start dealing with marijuana, you can bet that they'll use some of their already strong political influence to get their way. Throughout all of this, I think the federal government is going to stay pretty mum on the subject, especially when people realize how much of a cash cow pot is.
I agree with the above. The influence of marijuana is growing, but not enough to pass the more important aspects of our society. Obviously, if more politicians come from a marijuana business background, the remaining states will be more likely to legalize pot. However, as Amy said, it's clear that at this point that the legalization of marijuana is a state issue. Even if the marijuana business takes over politics, I don't think the federal government can still nationally ban pot. However, it would still be extremely dangerous if more business politicians become involved. We can suspect that the government will run around business/economic purposes. Like Quinn mentioned, if those brand name companies start selling marijuana and get involved with the politics about it, it can be bad. Although pot can make a whole lot of money, that doesn't mean it should be legalized.
People already use marijuana for recreational purposes in states that have not yet legalized it. Given the fact that the recreational usage of marijuana has been legalized in Colorado and Washington, I believe that it is on its way to becoming as financially influential as traditional businesses. The fact is, marijuana was already financially secure before it was legalized in Colorado and Washington, and now that it's legal in those two states I think that people who up until now have been obtaining marijuana through illegal means will go to those two states to purchase it legally. I also think that if this continues, the government will see how much money it's making and start to consider legalizing it in other states.
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