HIGH STAKES

To legalize or not — that seems to be a burning question for most of America’s 50 states in the 21st century. The legalization of marijuana for both medicinal and recreational use has not only saturated politics within the United States, but has opened the floodgates for American entrepreneurs looking to stake their claim on potential gold mines of cannabis sales.

According to Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics, “Spending in the legal cannabis industry worldwide is expected to hit $57 billion by 2027. The recreational market will cover 67 percent of the spending, and medical marijuana will take up the remaining 33 percent.” More states are joining the movement to legalize cannabis, not only to control its recreational and medicinal use, but to get a piece of the financial pie through taxation and regulatory fees. Cannabis is unlike many other drugs, such as heroin and other opioids, in that it has created its own counterculture that elevates marijuana as a symbol of mental and physical freedom.

But is the use of marijuana as liberating as the cannabis industry claims it to be, or will their arguments for its benefits eventually go up in smoke? Moreover, if America suffers a national disaster of apocalyptic proportions, what could the role of marijuana play in society when resources dry up and hope fades? Advocates of cannabis’ vast array of potential uses could have an opportunity to test their claims if the American grid collapses and traditional healthcare is no longer an option.

Aside from the notion that Americans could exist without power for any number of reasons, the possibility of living in a cashless society would be symptomatic of total grid failure. Rather than using the exchange of money that so many of us are accustomed to, bartering needed items in a post-disaster America would rather be advocated within our nation’s populace. For its plethora potential uses, including recreation and comfort, marijuana could be near