GOVERNMENT HEMP TOO HIGH

For sale: pounds and pounds of high quality marijuana. Vendor: The Health
Ministry of the Netherlands. Price: $10 to $12 a gram. Public demand:
unbelievably, practically zero.

The Dutch health ministry has a big pot problem on its hands. It has
legalized and is selling standardized quality-controlled marijuana through
pharmacies - a prescription is required - but it just can't compete with
street vendors who can undercut the government's price by at least $7 a
gram. The government got into the dope business last year to help sufferers
of painful diseases such as multiple sclerosis, AIDS, neuralgia, cancer and
Tourette's Syndrome. But those suffering from chronic or life-threatening
ailments can just go to coffee shops on Dampkring, one of Amsterdam's
busiest streets, and buy 23 different types of marijuana and 18 different
types of hashish -- all organically grown. For about $5 a gram. The
government had anticipated it would sell 450 pounds of weed, but it's only
sold 175. What a downer. All that quality grass gone to pot.