Growing an Economy by Growing Weed

April 14, 2012, 8:00 am by Scientific American: Health

Investors rocked world markets this week by selling Spanish bonds because of doubts about the country s ability to put in place an austerity program. As prices plummeted, one small Catalonian village tried to think global and act local. It voted for a novel agricultural measure to work its way out of a 1.3 million debt hole and provide a few jobs.A referendum that endorsed the growing of cannabis as a means to bolster finances of Rasquera, a municipality of about 900 less than 100 miles from Barcelona, received a solid majority. The final tally: 308 yays in counterpoint to 239 against. [More]

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