Marijuana & Money 2012

So what argument should advocates employ? That the government has no business interfering in private activities except to prevent harm to others

Medical marijuana is legal in the state of Colorado. As a result, businesses have been created to grow, package and sell medicinal marijuana. This has created jobs, paid rent, and perhaps most important in 2012 America, they've paid millions in taxes.  The problem: even though medical marijuana is legal in Colorado, it's illegal under federal  law.

There’s growing federal momentum to undercut medical marijuana laws in states including Montana and California.  Those laws are suffering more pushback under President Obama than President Bush. What now for medical marijuana patients?

Not only was Oregon the first state to decriminalize pot in 1973, years before its glamorous neighbor to the south, but its medical marijuana program has operated with few glitches since it began in 1998. Now, it's an issue in a top statewide election race.

The shutdown of Oaksterdam University was another in an ongoing dispute between federal and local officials in California on the topic of  marijuana laws. It's one that has been escalating over the past year – but so far discussions between the state and feds have been rare.

More than two years after New Jersey approved a measure to legalize marijuana for chronically ill patients, the program may finally be on the verge of allowing dispensaries to open.

Several states with dispensaries have seen an increase in both arrests and the confiscation of  marijuana plants. However, a look at DEA records shows what appears to be an uneven enforcement policy among pot-friendly states over the past several years.

Is marijuana a harmless giggle, as John Lennon once called it, or a dangerous and illicit addiction? The debate has once again been pushed to the forefront, thanks to a couple of timely factors.

If pot becomes legal, local, artisanal growers—perhaps along with farmers' collectives—are likely to dominate in the early stage, as big firms ramp up to enter the market years later. Think Starbuds vs. Maxwell House.

Taking a pocketbook approach to marijuana consumption, black-market prices make the weed more expense than alcohol and tobacco, but legalization could change that.

Drug dealers these days are far from the stereotypes of blinged-out urban kids and long-haired dirtbags. Many are moms, teachers, construction workers,  and municipal employees, supplementing their regular income.

Labs like Full Spectrum and Steep Hill are springing up to serve the medical marijuana dispensaries and patients in states like Colorado and California to test the strength and purity of the drug.

The legalization of medical marijuana in several states has paved the way for a budding edible medical marijuana industry. Small businesses in states such as Colorado and California are making treats such as candy, cookies or soda.