Who could have guessed that the doling out of the golden eggs, also known as Maryland marijuana growing licenses, would turn out to be a debacle ("Top lobbyist represents winner of controversial medical marijuana license," Oct. 3)? Much like Maryland's archaic distributorship system for alcohol, the real key to the marijuana growing license system will be who gets paid.
The logical system in a non-corrupt government would be to set standards that growers and distributors must adhere to and let the free market decide which companies would thrive and profit. If the product you make is good and reasonably priced, your company will survive. If too many companies make the product, the price will go down. But the problem with that basic business principle is who, other than the startup business owners taking all the risk, would be able to profit from the process of issuing the licenses? What would the lobbyists do?
The question is not whether the geographical or racial allotment is fair, it should be who can produce the product safely, profitably and with accountability, but that won't happen in Maryland.
Mike Johnson, Easton