Cannabis reform as economic redevelopment is a hot topic right now. But are governments listening to a groundswell of support for a cannabinoid fueled Green New Deal?
Cannabis as a potent “green” in any New Economic Deal for the planet? With all the discussion in the room about post-COVID economic resuscitation measures that will be required (beyond the trickle so far dispersed to actual people), we here at CannaListEU have come up with the top 10 reasons that cannabis as an industry should be high on the agenda for all governments just about everywhere, for some kind inclusion in post-pandemic relief.
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THE LIST
- The industry, at all levels and in all places, is creating jobs right now. Even in the middle of a global pandemic. Beyond government intervention, the private market is creating the impetus for a cannabis inclusive green new deal before governments ever get officially if not formally involved.
- The industry might be the garlic to the COVID “vampire.” Starting with targeting the virus’s ability to cause an immune meltdown if not multi-organ failure that is still being understood.
- The combination of a domestic cultivation industry in every country will potentially, therefore, also be able to lower the cost of healthcare. Not only against COVID but generally. Plus, there is also an export discussion.
- It is all very well to say one is for “green” if not “sustainable” anything, but on this one, cannabis is an absolute epicenter for all things that concern the same. Production costs in the form of energy, water, and organic growing along with certification are just one part of this discussion. So is conservation, starting at the grow site (not to mention down the supply chain). No matter one’s sensibilities, politics, or general feelings about the plant correctly, it is easy to understand this straightforward argument. Cannabis is not an automatic panacea, but the development of a healthy industry sure does perpetuate the economic development discussion fast, including on the industrial side. Hempcrete affordable housing (for one) is a concept Berlin (if not other major German cities for starters) needs fast. Green new deal now indeed.
- It throws a significant wrench into the arguments espoused by those who are marching to express their discontent with virus sanitary lockdown measures, Bill Gates and 5G. Their analogies to “vaccine fascism” aside, such arguments are handily dispersed by handing those of such persuasions some hanf öl. They have the EU-Bio version of the same available at Rewe (Germany’s third-largest, highly dispersed, and accessible grocery store chain). Think of it this way. If they enjoy the experience, such individuals will be less toxic, generally to all. It is a win-win. Plus, of course, for those with purely economic reasons for being at the rallies, opening eyes about possibilities for economic remuneration for labor. Unemployment creates some powerful grudges that are quickly dispersed with economic stability. And if it turns out CBD kills COVID, you will be doing community service for all, including overstretched medical staff everywhere, in essentially inoculating the Covidiots.
- Nobody, including Adolph Hitler, could ever derail this conversation for long. Why not pivot and try a new approach? Job creation, taxes, and reinvestment are always popular, but right now, they are essential.
- Economic models for a new economy have to be built somewhere. There are already many gaps and terrible statistics. Case studies tell stories. They are already out there.
- What other industry, from “blue-collar” to tech, has a range of diversity for employment opportunities? Not everyone wants (or is capable) of cultivation, from the mom and pop to the corporate level. The broad implications of supporting the certified, legitimizing industry make economic sense right now and in ways that are easy to understand. Everywhere. That is a good if not green good, if not precisely new deal to believe in.
- What other vertical has gone through so much stigma to come back consistently with such staying power? If you cannot kill, it, in other words, cultivate it. What exactly are the downsides again?
- If another historical medical analogy has to be made, cannabis is kind of like this century’s penicillin meets Ford Motor Company’s ideas of revolutionizing production. Robots may end up harvesting corporate crops, which are mass-produced and transported by drones sometime soon. But bottom line, this is also a human industry, which needs people-powered innovation and brainpower to help it grow. The results of doing so are already starting to be transformative. And existing barriers will, generally, and almost certainly be over anyway by the beginning of the next decade. For that very reason, with existing science to back up many of the most astonishing claims medically already, plus potential on so many other fronts, this industry should be fast-tracked if not gold starred for a serious injection of help, cash, tax credits and other incentives to let it grow. Indeed, if there were a picture of a single vertical that one could insert in the modern global understanding of the term “Green New Deal” itself, these days, one would be hard-pressed to think, at least fairly quickly, of another, much less better, economically viable alternative.
Top 10 Reasons That Cannabis Reform Is Good For A Green New Deal
