Reference no: EM132384130
Thread 1
Marijuana dispensaries in Oregon, where the drug has just recently been legalized, are slowly being weeded out. The market has become oversaturated with supply and there has been little demand. This has forced the companies, such as Cannabis Nation, to group together and form bigger companies, which resemble chains. These chains have locations all around the state, allowing for more revenue to come in and support the business. Another source of growth is through investment. People in states such as Florida are investing their money in these dispensaries. The government has just opened up the ability for investors in other states to put their money into this industry, trying to keep it alive so that buyers go to the sellers who have licenses and not the illicit dealers.
The biggest economical concept here is licensing. Licensing basically means the government gives a certain number of people the ability to sell a certain thing (in this instance, pot) and they have to keep a certain standard for what they sell (it will be FDA regulated). People who sell it without a license will be breaking the law, and it will be cheaper from the legal stores than where it is illegal, driving consumers to buy it where it is legal. This also provides a barrier to entry, giving the government an ability to number the amount of dealers in the industry. This will not eliminate drug dealers illegally selling weed, but the hope is that it will significantly decrease the amount of it.
I find it interesting that even though the marijuana industry is huge, bringing in $375 million in taxes from Washington alone, the companies are struggling to get by and having to combine to make enough money. (Vittert, 2019) I do not agree with Marijuana for recreational use, I think that nothing good will come of that, however, I do believe that in certain cases medically it can be used for good. Take people that have a problem with seizures, for instance.
A purified form of the oil from the plant is used to treat seizures caused by epilepsy. (nccih, 2018) Another great reason marijuana is used is to get people who are addicted to hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin off of them. Some research suggests that marijuana can also reverse some of the damage done by heroin in user's brains. (Scutti, 2017) So I think that marijuana, when used medically or to help reduce the withdrawal symptoms of worse drugs, is okay, but if you do not have any issues with hard drugs or seizures, I believe that it would be wiser to abstain from the use of it.
It is fascinating to think about why God created marijuana. If I stand back and look at it from a perspective of what those reasons might be, I can see that the medicinal purposes we have found may be the reason for its existence. However, there may be other medicinal purposes that we do not yet understand. I believe that God created everything for a purpose, and since He is infinitely more knowledgeable and wise than we are, in many cases we just have yet to figure out and understand His true purpose for each item.
A good example of missing the bigger picture is in the movie The Biggest Little Farm. John and Molly Chester started a farm focused on diversity in species of animals and plants in this movie. (Biggest Little Farm, John Chester) In my opinion, what they found was that God created a diverse ecosystem and when we eliminate pieces of God's complex design we break the system. For instance, shooting a coyote might mean that you end up with too many gophers. If we translate this idea to all of life in general, we can logically say that God has a purpose for even the very things that seem meaningless or harmful to us. We just need to slow down and look for Him in the details. God's fingerprints are everywhere in creation, and unlike us, everything He does has a purpose.
Bibliography:
Biggest Little Farm. (2019).
Component of Marijuana Reduces Seizures in Some Children With Epilepsy. (2018, June 28).
Scutti, S. (2017, May 17). New potential for marijuana: Treating drug addiction.
Vittert, L. (2019, April 19). Here's what the numbers show about the impact of legal marijuana.
Thread 2
Organic Farmers see green both in Sustainability and Profits
Summary
Studies that were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2015 state that organic farming is more profitable that regular farming using pesticides and chemical additives. Farming using organic methods produce less food per acre than conventional farming, but the organic farmer can charge a premium for their product. Organic farmers spend less money on chemicals and genetically modified organisms but spend more money on labor.
Organic farmers need to charge a 5-7% premium to break-even but customers are willing to pay 22-30% more for their product than for food grown using conventional methods. Even though organic farming is more profitable, traditional farmers are hesitant to make the switch. Globally, only 1% of farms are organic.
Economic Idea Presented
Most of these organic products are sold locally at farmers markets and cooperatives, which are competitive markets. There are many buyers and sellers. Being able to charge customers a 30% premium for a product shows us that there is a high demand for organic products. With only 1% of farmers across the globe practicing organic farming it will be interesting to see if the 30% premium will decrease as more farmers begin to farm organically and increase the supply of organic goods. Experts believe that "even if premiums fall to lower levels as sales continue to grow, organic agriculture will likely keep its competitive edge due to consumer demand" (Nink, 2015).
Opinion
I am excited to see that more farmers are looking into sustainable methods of growing produce and that consumers are willing to pay more for their effort. Traditional farming has external costs that are difficult to measure, such as pesticide toxicity, water pollution, and soil depletion (Owens, K., Feldman, J., and Kepner, J., 2010). It is frightening to think that the chemicals that are being sprayed on our food is leeching into our water.
We are eating and drinking these dangerous chemicals. These pesticides have been linked to acute poisoning and long-term chronic illness and diseases (Owens, K., Feldman, J., and Kepner, J., 2010). I believe that organic farming is the way of the future and that the premium paid to those farmers will remain high even when supply increases. The more aware the general public is made of the dangers of pesticides, the higher the demand for organic products will become.
Biblical Perspective
In Genesis, God gave Adam "every herb bearing seed and tree that yields fruit" nurture and use as sustenance for his body. God expects us to be good stewards of the land and take care of the gift he has entrusted us with. We should do our best to make choices that benefit the earth, as well as, our bodies. Organic farming is proven to be beneficial to our health and to the land.
References
Nink, E. (2015, June 10). Organic farming is financially sustainable worldwide, study finds. The Christian Science Monitor.
Owens, K, Feldman, J., and Kepner, J. (2010). Wide range of diseases