Puerto Rico Ping! Please Freepmail me if you want on or off the list.
Posted on 08/02/2017 1:30:53 PM PDT by cll
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Jesus Aponte pushes a door open to reveal hundreds of aromatic, spiky green plants, a crop that Puerto Rico hopes will help it ease a grinding economic crisis by generating millions in revenue and tens of thousands of jobs.
Aponte, a 29-year-old biologist and chemical engineer, had been thinking of joining the wave of young Puerto Rican professionals heading to the U.S. to seek work — an exodus that has aggravated the U.S. territory’s woes. But then he saw the saw the island’s medical marijuana industry start to expand, and found one of the rare new jobs opening up on the island, overseeing some 2,000 plants at the Natural Ventures facility.
“This is an economic niche that we can grab on to,” he said, though he added, “A lot of people told me, ‘What are you doing with your life? You’re throwing away your future.’”
But like more than two dozen U.S. states, Puerto Rico is pinning a little of its future on the recently illegal drug.
The territory legalized medical marijuana by decree nearly two years ago and new Gov. Ricardo Rossello last month signed a measure that set out a legal framework for the industry. Backers say that will spark an expansion of the pot fields, manufacturing centers and dispensaries that have been popping up across the island.
“A lot of people were waiting for this law,” said attorney Goodwin Aldarondo, president of Puerto Rico Legal Marijuana, a consulting company. “It’s the only viable alternative we have to solve the economic situation. It’s been many, many years since Puerto Rico has had a new industry.”
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
For your Interest.
Puerto Rico Ping! Please Freepmail me if you want on or off the list.
From the frying pan to the fire...
Gawd liberals are stupid
I think Puerto Rico is confusing itself with Jamaica. Tourists looking for ganja are already going to the island 400 miles to the left.
The crisis of all those on fraudulent disability needing something to do instead of working?
Raise tobacco and booze taxes build more casinos, tax the rich.
I thought you were democrats and you don’t know these things?
I don’t understand why people think pot is the solution to everything... its a weird kind of religion. Whatever you’ve got, pot is the answer.
Either that or the crisis of 75% of the population working for the government and expecting to retire on full pay at 52.
Yep, that’ll fix it, all the failed states jumping on the legalized pot bandwagon. It worked out so well with casinos.
Maybe they can borrow some money and pot from California.
Legal pot to create jobs? I’ll bet many new tokers will lose their jobs due to disinterest.
About 10% Unemployment Rate.
The problem is other things:
Don’t Lecture Greece on Welfare: Puerto Rico USA Is Much Worse
The common stereotype is to label the Greeks as lazy, because only 52 percent of the nation is currently working. But only 43 percent of Puerto Ricans,USA are employed.
Socialism killed Puerto Rico too
Social Security disability payments are just one example, but the SSA's own internal reports showed that in 2010 nine of the top 10 zip codes for workers receiving disability benefits were on Puerto Rico. Applicants for disability payments were approved at a rate of 69% in 2010 compared to just 36% four years earlier. Things got even more ridiculous this spring when it was revealed that not being able to speak English was considered a legitimate disability on the island.
Some Puerto Rican bud followed by Mofongo for supper. It’s very tasty.
I don’t think either Puerto Ricans or Greeks are “lazier” than anybody else. It’s all about economic incentives and constraints.
Bingo, we have a winner!
You can’t read the works of Dr. Thomas Sowell all day if you don’t start early in the morning. (So to speak: I’m actually on a Tudor-biographies kick right now.) But Dr. Sowell is right. Some people will work really hard, no matter what, just because that’s their nature, but most follow the incentives the system gives them.
If this is what the folks of Puerto Rico want good for them.
Base on Puerto Rico’s history of fiscal insanity I doubt legal cannabis sales are going to make much difference.
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