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Marijuana is the top American cash crop

Wednesday, 20 December 2006

Marijuana is the top American cash crop

Marijuana is the top cash crop in the US, according to a report published on Monday, which says that despite intensive eradication plans, $35bn (L18bn) worth of the illegal drug is produced a year and that is more than the total from corn and wheat combined.

Jon Gettman, a public policy analyst who advocates reform of American marijuana laws, prepared the study and activists who are campaigning for the decriminalisation of the drug, say the report backs the need for change, a position that government officials reject.

Based on government reports, Mr Gettman has estimated that as much as 10,000 metric tons of marijuana are produced annually in America.

The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) welcomed the report, which said it showed that "marijuana laws are a complete failure".

"Our nation's laws guarantee that 100% of the proceeds from marijuana sales go to unregulated criminals rather that to legitimate businesses that pay taxes to support schools, police and roads," said MPP executive director Rob Kampia, however, Tom Riley, a spokesman for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, argued against any economic arguments for legalising marijuana saying its use was an "inherently harmful activity".

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