This week KFSM reported that so-called “medical” marijuana sales have topped $35.69 million in Arkansas since last May.
About $3.7 million of that money will go to the state in tax revenue — which is hardly enough to cover the state’s annual expenses, much less pay back the millions of dollars Arkansas already has spent establishing the “medical” marijuana program.
More than 5,463 pounds of marijuana have been sold in the past nine months.
That’s enough to make upwards of 5 – 7 million marijuana joints.
Based on these numbers, marijuana in Arkansas sells for a little over $400 an ounce or about $14 – $15 per gram, on average.
An estimated 35,000 people currently have “medical” marijuana ID cards.
That means a little over one-tenth of the state’s population is spending millions upon millions of dollars on marijuana.
It’s important to remember that marijuana is not harmless.
Marijuana use is tied to stroke, heart problems, and hypertension as well as permanent loss in IQ and an increased risk for schizophrenia.
That’s part of the reason why the U.S. Surgeon General issued a warning about marijuana last August.
Marijuana is a dangerous drug, and it is costing the State of Arkansas millions of dollars. As we have said for years: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.
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