Reefer Madness
Pittsburgh pot dealer Daniel Muessig is going to prison, thanks to President Biden’s broken promises.
Chicago-based Green Thumb Industries sold nearly $900 million worth of marijuana last year. The publicly-traded company makes and sells cannabis products in 17 states and employs nearly 3,800 people.
Daniel Muessig sold marijuana, too. At least he did so until his “stash house” in Pittsburgh, PA, was raided in 2019. A 40-year-old former lawyer with no criminal record or history of violence, he’s headed to prison for five years.
This is madness.
In eighteen states, including CA, NY, IL and NJ, marijuana is sold legally to all adults. Cannabis is one of the US’s fastest growing businesses. The industry employs about 425,000 people.
Elsewhere, sellers can go to prison. This is a waste of human potential. It’s also a waste of tax dollars: It costs about $35,000 a year to incarcerate a federal prisoner, according to the justice department.
And to what end?
Muessig will suffer. His family will suffer. His many friends will suffer. His customers, meantime, will get their pot from whoever takes advantage of the the market opportunity to sell marijuana illegally in western Pennsylvania.
