Hops, Malt, Barley, and Hemp - The Politics of Pleasure

This is certainly an opportune time to celebrate American Craft Beer Week, as we sit in the middle of an economic collapse. Many of us are feeling the pains of a sluggish economy in the form of lost jobs, reduced income, and continued uncertainty. While it may not be the best way to cope with anxiety, one can hardly blame us for imbibing a well-crafted beer to help us through tough times. The hoppy pleasure of a well-balanced ale or the rich, malty sweetness of a dark porter offer our minds something pleasant to ponder while we wait for the alcohol to lift our spirits. Of course, most of us would prefer to pour a beer celebrating our economic prosperity rather than one distracting us from our financial woes. That is why it is maddening to realize that America's other vice of choice, marijuana, remains the untaxed black sheep of U.S. drug use when we desperately needs its revenues the most. Perhaps a look at the history and prohibition of beer in America can help inform us about the demonized weed.

American Craft Beer Week is recognized by the United States Congress in House Resolution 753. The resolution states that the Congress:

(1) Supports the establishment of American Craft Beer Week as a celebration of the contributions that American craft brewers have made to the Nation's communities, economy, and history and
(2) commends American craft brewers for providing jobs, improving the balance of trade, supporting American agriculture, and educating Americans about the history and culture of beer while promoting the responsible consumption of beer as a beverage of moderation.

This is a triumph for craft brewers for a couple of reasons. First of all, there was another House of Represenatives bill passed in 1919, HB 6810, that prohibited the production or consumption of alcohol in the United States. Of course, the prohibition of alcohol fueled untold criminal activity and helped fund and organize the American mafia. Thankfully, by 1933, American politicians realized the harm inflicted by prohibition. It became obvious that prohibition was a boon to organized crime and basically turned over would-be tax dollars and employment opportunities to criminal enterprises. The puritanical streak in American culture was beaten back by the competing libertarian and capitalist tendencies of the country. Fortunately, American evolved (at least in part) past its fundamentalist roots so that as I write this I can enjoy an Arrogant Bastard Oaked Ale.

"Those 'might is right' market realities almost destroyed the practice of craft brewing which would have left us with nothing but mass-produced, watered-down, tasteless lagers."

While the hyper capitalist tendencies of America helped (in part) to save her from an extended alcohol prohibition, they did little to help craft brewing. In fact, those "might is right" market realities almost destroyed the practice of craft brewing which would have left us with nothing but mass-produced, watered-down, tasteless lagers. According to beerinfo.com, the United States had 4,131 breweries in 1873, less than 1,568 in 1910, 498 in 1940 (only seven years after prohibition), 229 in 1960, and only 82 breweries by 1980, the year of Ronald Reagan's election. By 1983, six brewing companies controlled 92% of U.S. beer production. American beer manufacturers devoted their funds to cheap production and distribution models coupled with enormous marketing campaigns full of clydesdale horses, bikini clad women, talking frogs, and professional athlete endorsements.

Today, thanks to the ingenuity, creativity, and determination of craft brewers, there are over 1,400 breweries in the U.S., comparable to the years just prior to prohibition. The renaissance began in the 1980's, took hold in the 90's, and continues to expand today with craft brewers growing at a rate of almost six times their macrobrew cousins according to beertown.org.

"Apparently, spending our dwindling tax dollars imprisoning pot smokers takes precedent over the moral decay of allowing them to giggle and eat Twinkies in the comfort of their own homes."

One can only hope that we might one day see Congress enact an American Marijuana Horticulturalists Week, praising them "for providing jobs, improving the balance of trade, supporting American agriculture, and educating Americans about the history and culture of pot." The history does not look good, however, considering that pot has been illegal in all of the U.S. since 1937 (72 years) while alcohol was prohibited for only fourteen years. Sometimes inertia is a bitch, especially realizing that the very powerful alcohol and tobacco lobbies continue to fund anti-marijuana campaigns for fear of competition (why they wouldn't want to use their resources to legalize and sell weed for enormous profits is beyond me.)

Of course, the prohibition of marijuana, just like alcohol before it, only leads to a rise in crime and huge piles of money for criminals. The country spends a great deal of money on failed law enforcement efforts and unconscionable incarceration for (very) non-violent pot smokers, when we could legalize, regulate, and tax a drug that is very safe, if not sometimes annoying (given its tendency to promote drum circles and caucasian dreadlocks.) A 2005 study conducted by Harvard professor Jeffrey Miron that was endorsed by no less than Milton Friedman and over five-hundred other economists estimates a $10-14 billion annual net gain from marijuana legalization. At a time of economic turmoil, you would think that politicians would embrace any plan to generate revenues and cut costs. This is especially true considering that Americans as a whole are beginning to soften their positions on marijuana reform, and even mainstream media sources like CNN are featuring repeated segments on the issue. However, even though a huge number of Americans proposed marijuana legalization in response to the economic crisis on President Obama's own website, his response was simply to chuckle and dismiss these serious concerns (see video below.) Were one of his daughters or friends languishing in a jail cell for smoking a harmless plant, perhaps he would not so cavalierly dismiss these legitimate questions. Were he a governor wondering how to balance a budget deeply in the red, perhaps he would give his online audience more credit.



For the time being, however, we are doing our best Saudi Arabia impression, with our fundamentalist, puritanical roots firmly planted in hemp-free soil. Apparently, spending our dwindling tax dollars imprisoning pot smokers takes precedence over the moral decay of allowing them to giggle and eat Twinkies in the comfort of their own homes. While I am glad that our country's moralizers have made room for the sometimes raucous beer drinkers of America, I can't help but wish the bean counting capitalists would take a harder look at the peaceful potheads of the nation. Until then, let's toast a Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA in honor of American Craft Beer Week and hope that one day our biggest complaint in the world of weed will be the corporate macro-growers of highly taxed, inferior, legalized marijuana.