When Nancy Reagan launched her “Just Say No to Drugs” campaign in the early 1980s, Bill Clinton may (or may not) have still been inhaling, while Barack Obama almost certainly was. Nevertheless, politicians in the 1980s might not have known that they were embarking on a campaign that has cost nearly $50 billion per year, caused millions of arrests and hundreds of thousands to be jailed and, after all of that, has arguably failed.
It’s too bad the political leaders who were responsible for launching and financing the war on drugs so many years ago didn’t spend some more time reflecting on other, more simple solutions–like unionizing the industry.
As Californians head to the polls on November 2nd, among the other decisions voters will be deciding on (like choosing whether or not to recycle ex-governor Jerry “California Über Alles” Brown), they will be voting on whether or not pass Proposition 19–that is whether or not to legalize pot in California. More specifically, whether or not to legalize “various marijuana-related activities, allow local governments to regulate these activities, permit local governments (but not the state government) to impose and collect marijuana-related fees and taxes, and authorize various criminal and civil penalties.”
Like any budding new industry, Prop. 19 has not escaped unnoticed by union bosses. In fact, over the past few months, unions have taken a keener-than-usual interest in the pot industry and its workers.
First, the United Food & Commercial Workers unionized some medical marijuana workers in May as part of an effort to bring “legitimacy to a once-hidden sector of the state’s economy” and boost the marijuana-legalization initiative.
Shortly afterward, the UFCW endorsed Proposition 19, stating:
“The marriage of the cannabis-hemp industry and UFCW is a natural one,” said [UFCW local 5 president] Rush. “We are an agriculture, food-processing and retail union, as is this industry.”
In August, pot proponents got another high when the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) endorsed Prop. 19, explaining that…
Peoples’ lives are ruined for a lifetime because of criminal records incurred from using a drug that is used recreationally by people from all walks of life. Those criminal records fall disproportionately on the backs of workers, poor people, and people of color.
Then, in early September, the Teamsters unionized more marijuana workers. According to Teamsters organizer Lou Marchetti:
They’ll now receive a number of benefits, including paid vacation and set pay increases.
“They’re workers. They need a job. They want healthcare and a pension, and we got it for them.”
Last week, the infamous purple behemoth, the SEIU got on the ganga bandwagon by endorsing Prop 19.
In a letter to the campaign, union President Bill A. Lloyd wrote: “As you know, our primary objective in the 2010 election is targeting the top of the ticket. The lion’s share of our focus and resources are targeted at electing Jerry Brown as our next governor, but we look forward to joining you in any way we can to help pass Proposition 19.”
Lloyd said the union decided to back the initiative because it could help raise revenue to avoid cuts to healthcare, home care, education and services for children, families, the elderly and people with disabilities.
With Randi Weingarten, the head of the American Federation of Teachers, essentially endorsed Proposition 19 last April, as well as the National Black Police Association and the Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), Prop. 19 appears to be heading toward a victory.
The problems for potheads will come later, however, as more and more unions see the pot industry and its workers as a source of revenue for their declining rolls (no pun intended).
If unions follow their traditional pattern that they did in the auto, steel, textile, and trucking industries, the budding legal pot industry is likely to be doomed before it even gets a chance to grow. And, so far, based on the Teamsters in Oakland, it appears unions will follow their traditional pattern.
- Unions survive and prosper by creating labor monopolies. The fewer workers in a craft enables unions to negotiate higher wages and benefits. The problems come when there is competition.
- As more pot workers unionize, there will be a marked increase in pot prices (not to mention the 10% tax in Prop 19.) as higher wages, benefits and pensions are negotiated (see Teamsters example above).
- Like Snooki railing against Obama’s Tan Tax, you can only imagine the impact on a state full of Spicolis.
- Following the increase in weed prices due to unionization and taxes, more would-be retail consumers will see the home-grown stuff as a natural alternative to spending more of their money at retail establishments.
- Obviously, those home growers will be scabs to the union pot workers…which raises the question: Will California’s pot smokers prefer to smoke the union label in solidarity, or will they turn to smoking “scab” weed?
- As unionization causes weed prices to inflate and competition emerges from “scab” growers, pot retailers will be forced to negotiate lower wages and benefits and, in doing so, risk the possibility of labor strife in the form of strikes or lockouts. Some pot retailers will undoubtedly go out of business.
- Knowing their market share of members is being threatened by “scab weed,” unions and retailers will likely push for more regulation of the domestic, non-union growers, again trying to limit the supply.
- Some retailers in the industry, in order to stay in business, may even have to outsource their weed work to places like — Mexico.
- In retaliation, to appease the unions, California may even slap tariffs on foreign pot, thereby limiting the supply further.
After a period of time, either through regulatory or legislative fiat, the unionized pot industry will either become a victim of competition, or unionization will cause the pot prices to soar so high that weed will become a luxury, like champagne and expensive cigars.
While the above is unscientific economic analysis, if the above does occur, marijuana consumption will decrease and the war on drugs will, by default (and unionization), have been won.
If Nancy only knew.
Now, back to my brownie.
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“I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776
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