Fully Addicted

Just as smokers are addicted to nicotine, governments are addicted to the revenues generated by the sale of tobacco products. So, I look for governments to continue their duplicitous approach to tobacco- deepen the regulations, write more laws, but for God's sake keep it legal so that the money continues to stream in to fund programs that expand government.

The Indy Star fuels this fire with an editorial calling for expanded federal regulation on the newer tobacco products, such as the smokeless-spitless tobacco that is not subject to the regulations as they are currently defined.

Hmm. With that, it is surprising that marijuana hasn't been legalized and regulated. With its' status as the top cash crop in the USA, the revenue stream from its taxation could be gigantic. Report by Drug Science.org. News report by the LA Times.

Hmm. Maybe Gregor was completely onto something about questioning the incremental approach. Sure, regulated and legal makes the product available. But it also makes available the expansion of government programs via the tax revenues.

Man, I'm torn. Thank goodness these are products I don't use!