PBS高端访谈:越来越多的美国土著部落正效仿科罗拉多的大麻制度

 　　RICK KARR: Marijuana grower and retailer² Andy Williams can barely keep up with the demand for his product these days. He says he can't imagine a more exciting and lucrative³ industry to be in right now. But the buzz is all coming from capitalism⁴. He doesn't even like cannabis.

　　ANDY WILLIAMS: I tried every few years just to prove to myself I still don't like it. You know, it just affects me very poorly.

　　RICK KARR: When he started his business a few years ago, Williams could only sell medical marijuana. That put him in position to be one of the first to sell recreational cannabis when it became legal last year.

　　Business has been so good that Williams now employs 75 people and expects to hire more. And this past August he opened a new state-of-the art facility that will produce 7 thousand pound of cannabis a year.

　　ANDY WILLIAMS: It's manufacturing is what it is as far as I'm concerned. You are manufacturing marijuana. This is an industrial manufacturing plant that grows marijuana.

　　RICK KARR: Stores like these can now sell up to an ounce of marijuana to customers who are 21 and over. The products come in all kinds of forms: cannabis buds from a range of varieties bred to treat particular ailments⁵, provide a mellow⁶ buzz, or deliver a powerful rush.

　　Pre-rolled joints⁷, pot-laced brownies, hard candy, and chocolate bars, marijuana infused beverages⁸ and massage⁹ oil. Consumers spend tens of millions of dollars a month on those products, but Williams is sure there's a lot more money to be made in his business.

　　ANDY WILLIAMS: You know I did this so that my family can be set up for their rest of their lives. Right now, I already know of some blue chip companies that are on the, on the start line. They're gonna come and buy people up, and quite honestly, I wanna be one of those guys.

　　RICK KARR: One of the benefits attached to legalization was that it would eliminate the black market. But that market is still thriving, according to a 39 year old marijuana grower who asked us to call him John Doe and to conceal¹⁰ his identity because he sells on the underground market.

　　The illegal trade is doing especially well in black and Latino communities, and he says it works the same way it did when pot was illegal.

　　JOHN DOE: You have that one guy, that guy that shines, that's the Robin¹¹ Hood¹² of the neighborhood. This man supplies a little ghetto¹³ area. Simple as that. Breaks his own pound into little ounces and helps everybody in his community.

　　So they can afford it with him. That's how it's happened.

　　RICK KARR: Yeah. And that's how it happened before, too.

　　JOHN DOE: Yeah. Yeah. Nothing's changed.

　　RICK KARR: John Doe says low-income buyers turn to the black market because prices are higher at legal retail¹ stores. There's conflicting information, but an ounce of pot on the black market can cost as little as 180 dollars.

　　At the store Andy Williams owns, you have to pay around 240 dollars for an ounce. That's partly because the price includes a 15 percent excise¹⁴ tax, a 10 percent marijuana tax, the state sales tax, and Denver's marijuana sales tax.

　　LARISA BOLIVAR: The taxes are an overreach and excessive. And it's a regressive tax and it impacts the poor most.

　　RICK KARR: Larisa Bolivar was involved in the fight to make marijuana legal for medical purposes. She uses it herself to treat stress. She campaigned for legalization but she doesn't like how it's working out.

　　She believes all those taxes guarantee a black market. But taxes have been beneficial, according to Mason Tvert, who also campaigned for legalization and helped draft the state's regulations.

　　In the first 10 months, those taxes have generated nearly 41 million dollars. A chunk¹⁵ of that is slated¹⁶ for public school construction. Besides he says the legal market offers some things that consumers find more important than the lowest price.

　　MASON TVERT: Variety, convenience, safety. That's what drives every product in the entire world. You know, that's what's going to drive this market. If someone is lower income or a higher income, chances are they're going to go to a store and purchase it because it'll be safe. It'll be convenient. There'll be variety. These are what drive people's decisions.

　　RICK KARR: How has that worked out so far? I mean, is the black market gone? Is the black market going away?

　　MASON TVERT: I think it's absurd for anyone to assume that we can eliminate a black market that grew over 80 plus years within the course of eight, nine months. But we've seen this industry take a huge bite out of the underground market.

　　RICK KARR: To enter the legal marijuana industry, you have to be a Colorado resident in good legal standing¹⁷. You also need the capital to get licensed¹⁹, and that can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

　　LARISA BOLIVAR: It's classist. The regulations support those that have access to wealth. And middle and lower classes don't have access to wealth.

　　I can't just go and ask my dad, “Hey, can I have $20,000 for licensing²⁰ and application fees?” You know? And then “Can I get a million dollars to get a property?”

　　RICK KARR: To start the legal recreational marijuana business, an entrepreneur needs a lot of capital: to fund an indoor grow facility, hire employees who'll cultivate the product, install security systems – all while complying with state regulations.

　　Tvert acknowledges the expenses limit the abilities of minorities to enter the industry.

　　MASON TVERT: This is a symptom of race relations and economic justice in our nation. This is not exclusive to marijuana.

　　You know, right now people in lower income areas or communities of color are facing discrimination and bearing the brunt of social policies across the board, not just for marijuana.

　　RICK KARR: But Tvert says since legalization there have been fewer arrests of minorities for marijuana possession.

　　MASON TVERT: People of color were being disproportionately impacted when it came to marijuana possession, and now whether you're white, whether you're black, whether you're a Latino, you are no longer going to be booked and convicted and treated like a criminal the rest of your life simply for possessing marijuana.

　　RICK KARR: But for anyone who was caught and convicted of a drug-related felony before legalization, state law makes it virtually impossible to join the industry now that marijuana is legal.

　　John Doe says that keeps a lot of people working on the black market.

　　JOHN DOE: There's a lot of people that have broken the law that are great entrepreneurs, work very hard, have good work ethics²¹, family values, good communication skills. I mean, I definitely believe that they should be given a chance.

　　The rules and regulations should allow a good grower that's been in trouble to do this. They're not hurting anybody. They're not out there you know, stealing and robbing. Most of these people probably got caught up trying to make a living. Trying to make money.

　　RICK KARR: The counterargument, though, is it also shows that they are willing to break the law, because it was illegal. So maybe if we give them a license¹⁸ and they open up a grow facility, licensed, maybe they won't pay the taxes.

　　JOHN DOE: Maybe they're more prone²² to breaking laws. Well, you know, they say that about many people, but you have to see their track record.

　　RICK KARR: John Doe says his family has been growing marijuana for many generations in Latin America. He believes the legal industry should benefit from his experience and passion for the plant.

　　JOHN DOE: It's the end result is this little flower that's growing up and all full of joy. When this comes out, that's when you say, “Okay, I am proud of my work.”

　　RICK KARR: This past November, voters in Oregon and Alaska approved initiatives legalizing the possession and sale of recreational marijuana.

　　Last month, the Department of Justice responded to inquiries²³ from Native American tribes by announcing that it would allow tribal²⁴ governments to make their own decisions on the cultivation²⁵ and sale of marijuana — even in states where it's still outlawed²⁶.

　　Legalization in Colorado is still a work in progress. But the state's a pioneer and as other states consider — or implement²⁷ — new marijuana laws, they'll be watching to see how Colorado does.

1 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

2 retailer   

n.零售商(人)

参考例句：

• What are the retailer requirements?零售商会有哪些要求呢？
• The retailer has assembled a team in Shanghai to examine the question.这家零售商在上海组建了一支团队研究这个问题。

3 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

4 capitalism   

n.资本主义

参考例句：

• The essence of his argument is that capitalism cannot succeed.他的论点的核心是资本主义不能成功。
• Capitalism began to develop in Russia in the 19th century.十九世纪资本主义在俄国开始发展。

5 ailments   

疾病（尤指慢性病），不适( ailment的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His ailments include a mild heart attack and arthritis. 他患有轻度心脏病和关节炎。
• He hospitalizes patients for minor ailments. 他把只有小病的患者也送进医院。

6 mellow   

adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟

参考例句：

• These apples are mellow at this time of year.每年这时节，苹果就熟透了。
• The colours become mellow as the sun went down.当太阳落山时，色彩变得柔和了。

7 joints   

接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语）

参考例句：

• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on gas mains. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在煤气的总管道上了。
• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on steam pipes. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在蒸气管道上了。

8 beverages   

n.饮料( beverage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• laws governing the sale of alcoholic beverages 控制酒类销售的法规
• regulations governing the sale of alcoholic beverages 含酒精饮料的销售管理条例

9 massage   

n.按摩，揉；vt.按摩，揉，美化，奉承，篡改数据

参考例句：

• He is really quite skilled in doing massage.他的按摩技术确实不错。
• Massage helps relieve the tension in one's muscles.按摩可使僵硬的肌肉松弛。

10 conceal   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽

参考例句：

• He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。
• He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。

11 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

12 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

13 ghetto   

n.少数民族聚居区，贫民区

参考例句：

• Racism and crime still flourish in the ghetto.城市贫民区的种族主义和犯罪仍然十分猖獗。
• I saw that achievement as a possible pattern for the entire ghetto.我把获得的成就看作整个黑人区可以仿效的榜样。

14 excise   

n.(国产)货物税；vt.切除，删去

参考例句：

• I'll excise the patient's burnt areas.我去切除病人烧坏的部分。
• Jordan's free trade zone free of import duty,excise tax and all other taxes.约旦的自由贸易区免收进口税、国内货物税及其它一切税收。

15 chunk   

n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量）

参考例句：

• They had to be careful of floating chunks of ice.他们必须当心大块浮冰。
• The company owns a chunk of farmland near Gatwick Airport.该公司拥有盖特威克机场周边的大片农田。

16 slated   

用石板瓦盖( slate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Yuki is working up an in-home phonics program slated for Thursdays, and I'm drilling her on English conversation at dinnertime. Yuki每周四还有一次家庭语音课。我在晚餐时训练她的英语口语。
• Bromfield was slated to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. 布罗姆菲尔德被提名为美国农业部长。

17 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

18 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

19 licensed   

adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
• Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗？

20 licensing   

v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• A large part of state regulation consists of occupational licensing. 大部分州的管理涉及行业的特许批准。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• That licensing procedures for projects would move faster. 这样的工程批准程序一定会加快。 来自辞典例句

21 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

22 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

23 inquiries   

n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。
• I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

24 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

25 cultivation   

n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成

参考例句：

• The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。
• The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃，不值得耕种。

26 outlawed   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
• I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。

27 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。