CNMI economic initiative and our cash crop

The sale of marijuana is already a cash crop and now it is a new legal industry that is on the horizon for those who don’t understand what is really happening. The sale of illegal drugs has created an illegal industry and the only real countermeasure to killing the illegal industry of pot sales is to legalize it, making it work to our advantage. Hard drugs like ice, cocaine, and heroin are man-made but pot is really a natural herb, not a drug, grows freely, and can never be eradicated. Are we supposed to chase pot growers and sellers forever or learn how to live with it and turn it into our cash crop? I’m just glad that voters are starting to realize that legalizing marijuana as our cash crop is far better than a casino. We don’t have a casino but we do have marijuana in our society so let’s deal with it!

Anyone worried about a tourist renting a car smoking pot and driving recklessly obviously doesn’t understand the effects of smoking pot as most people who smoke become more careful when driving as people have been known to get tickets going too slow while on pot. Alcohol destroys your equilibrium for driving, not pot. We also don’t have to worry about vegetable growers everywhere selling pot as the CNMI’s operation will be run by the government and grown on government-sponsored farm lots by a selected list of farmers and the sales will be conducted at state stores on all three islands. The CNMI’s government operation will be controlled much better and more profitable than Colorado and Washington who only collect taxes.

I will be the first to say there will be some isolated circumstances of youths doing something stupid in the first 100 days before they are educated like the fourth grader in Colorado who took pot to school to sell. We now know that this child was an exception who really didn’t understand the passage of the legalization law in Colorado. This single rare incident among millions of students is clear proof that we don’t have to worry about our youth. I also hear some locals refer to the people in the states who did legalize marijuana as being idiot hippies but their statement really reflects an old-fashioned, outdated view of people who smoke pot. FYI, the majority of hippies, which started among college students, went on to become public leaders, attorneys, congresspersons, stars, and professionals in many fields. Time does not take us backwards but forward and nothing remains the same so we know it is just a matter of time before the entire world legalizes marijuana as it has started successfully in America—the world’s leader in change and improvements.

As for the Commonwealth-wide economic initiative, it was authored by a real economist in collaboration with people in the community for the purpose of fixing our economy. It is truly an initiative of, for, and by the people. The economic initiative does more than legalize marijuana. It also forces the government to expedite the creation of a ferry service as a form of public transportation like the city buses. It forces the government to finally look for investors and build the cultural center like Hawaii that will double as a convention venue improving on Hawaii’s concept. It also removes the poker machines to arcades in Garapan and/or La Fiesta and it creates an elected economic advisory board with economists and/or business people to govern over the economy, not our politicians.

Get educated on marijuana reform and sign both of the Initiatives that Legalize-It.. See you in Kagman at the petition signing station Monday to Friday, from 4pm to 6pm, and Saturday, all day.

Ambrose M. Bennett
Kagman, Saipan