The Libertarian Treehugger

Last week, I sat down with Alexandra Perry of Wealth Daily's "Investing After Hours" podcast. The topic was socially responsible investing and how cannabis investors can make money while helping to end the war on drugs. You can check it out here: https://soundcloud.com/investingafterhours/cannabis-and-socially-conscious-investingis-project I'll also be speaking about cannabis investing at this year's Freedom Fest, where I'll discuss some of my favorite cannabis investments. Would love to meet some of you there. If you haven't already signed up, here's a link: https://freedomfest.com/ If you use the code LEGALIZE, you can also get $100 off the registration fee.

By Jeff Siegel Vote2 1

I was saddened to hear Congressman Steve Scalise was shot yesterday. The conservative representative from Louisiana’s first district was doing nothing more that morning than getting in a little exercise and spending some time with his colleagues. We should all be so fortunate to have the opportunity to start out our days that way. But the truth is, most don’t. Most folks in this country continue to struggle to just pay the bills. They struggle to understand why our government is so malnourished of morality and so fattened with greed and vitriol. They struggle to raise their kids in environments...

By Jeff Siegel Vote4 1

It was cringeworthy to say the least. Watching DEA head Chuck Rosenberg opine on medicinal cannabis. Sticking to his guns, Rosenberg said once again that marijuana is not medicine, noting that to him, “medicine” is something that’s been studied by clinicians and physicians and epidemiologists. He added that we know how to dose it, what it’s side effects are, and we know a whole bunch of science about medicine. But when smoking marijuana, none of those things pertain. I understand that he wants to rely on the medical establishment for guidance, and in all fairness, analysis of medical cannabis should...

By Jeff Siegel Vote1 0

I saw it this morning ... The video of the “white guy with dreads” being accused of appropriation by a black girl. According to the girl in the video, he doesn't have the right to have dreads because “it's her culture, not his.” I'm not sure if it's because I'm old or because I'm not the most politically correct guy in the room, but what the fuck is going on here?! I've been following this whole appropriation issue for about a year now. Apparently this is a “thing” now on college campuses. Along with micro-aggressions and having a woman sign...

By Jeff Siegel Vote20 11

There was a piece in Bloomberg this morning entitled, “Colorado’s $1 Billion Pot Industry Saves Towns as It Sows Mayhem” As a supporter of legalization and an investor in the legal marijuana space, I was desperate to learn about this “mayhem.” And of course, I found exactly what I expected to find. The piece started off with this paragraph … Taxes generated by Colorado’s $1 billion marijuana industry are keeping some struggling towns solvent even as growing numbers of high-schoolers are getting stoned at lunch, police are coping with a doubling of cannabis-related traffic deaths and doped-up tourists flock to...

By Jeff Siegel Vote10 0

So the governor of Alabama has announced that he is refusing Syrian refugees relocating to his state. Referencing the recent attack in Paris, Governor Robert Bentley said that he will not stand complicit to a policy that places the citizens of Alabama in harm's way. Strong words coming from the governor of a state that has the ninth highest murder rate in the nation. Maybe he doesn't want guys named Ahmad and Nasir infringing on the daily activities of poor, white meth addicts and crooked cops who are pissed off because lynching black folks isn't politically correct. Admittedly, I do...

By Jeff Siegel Vote11 23

“We’re not arguing for a free market,” California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom told the Times. “We’re arguing for a very regulated market that has real oversight, that is flexible.” Spoken like a true statist bully! So what was Newsom referring to in this quote? What kind of market does he believe needs to operate under strict state control and in the absence of a real free market? Clearly it must be something so dangerous that he feels compelled to protect the good people of California from this menace. At first, I thought maybe it was oxycontin, an FDA-approved drug which...

By Jeff Siegel Vote7 1

Me, Grandma, and Grandpa (1975) After my grandfather died, my grandmother’s life was filled with anxiety and stress. In fact, when he died, the woman I had known as Grandma died, too. Not literally, of course, but spiritually and emotionally. She was so overcome with anxiety that her health rapidly deteriorated. Make no mistake; few things will wreak havoc on your immune system like stress and anxiety. Over time, she did concede to getting on anti-anxiety meds, and she regularly saw a psychologist. It helped, but the meds did come with a few side effects that also likely affected her...

By Jeff Siegel Vote4 0

Poor Bernie Sanders … He means well. I truly believe this. But his good intentions could lay the foundation for a road to hell. Last week, I read a piece published at thinkprogress.org entitled, “Bernie Sanders' Plan to Make Solar Power More Accessible.” Here's a snippet … On Tuesday, Vermont Senator and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders introduced legislation aimed at making it easier for low-income families to take advantage of solar power. The bill, called the “Low Income Solar Act,” came the same day that the Obama Administration announced a similar program aimed at installing 300 megawatts of...

By Jeff Siegel Vote11 8

Hello world!

By Jeff Siegel Vote8 0

He’s portrayed as a villain … An evil billionaire with no respect for history, culture or the will of the people, Donald Trump makes good on this image in his reluctant appearance in the movie, A Dangerous Game. Directed by investigative journalist Anthony Baxter, A Dangerous Game explores Donald Trump’s hard-on to build “world-class” golf courses on some of the most beautiful and culturally significant sites in the world. From the pristine shores of Aberdeen, Scotland to the mountain tops of Dubrovnik, Croatia, overlooking the Adriatic Sea, Trump battles local residents as he uses his wealth and influence to bully...

By Jeff Siegel Vote6 0

Taxpayer subsidies come in all shapes and sizes, but few are more vulgar than loans, loan guarantees and bailout assistance. The idea that the government should operate as a bank – using your money to gift loans and loan guarantees to its favorite corporate masters – is so absurd, it's offensive. While there are plenty of debates as to what the proper role is of government (or if government should even exist at all), I cannot imagine any rational individual willing to voluntarily give anyone a handout in an effort to help a failing business exist. Yet, this is what...

By Jeff Siegel Vote11 3

Well it looks like Walmart has been busy devising new ways to spread its evil reign of greed and terror over the land. Just kidding … If you're a regular reader of these pages, you know that I often come out in defense of Walmart. Although I don't typically shop at the world's largest retailer, I applaud Walmart for providing employment for 2.2 million employees across the globe. I applaud the company for integrating more renewable energy into its operations than the entire state of Florida has connected to its outdated grid. I think it's great that management has taken...

By Jeff Siegel Vote22 9

You probably don't know who Dave Seleski is. Hell, I don't even know the guy, personally. But I know who he is, and I know he is deserving of a round of applause. Dave Seleski is the CEO of Stonegate Bank in south Florida. This is a relatively small community bank, boasting 21 branches in the Sunshine State and $2.26 billion in assets. It's also a bank run by a man who embodies a fair amount of bravery, and certainly an appreciation for free market solutions to geopolitical problems. You see, Stonegate Bank, under the leadership of Seleski has accepted...

By Jeff Siegel Vote4 0

It’s not as if we really needed another reason to loathe career politicians, but here’s one I just couldn’t let slide. Check out this small segment from an Autoblog piece about Tesla and the state of Texas … A Texas House deadline has come and gone, killing many top-priority bills for both parties — among them one that would allow Tesla-backed direct car sales and another to regulate ride-hailing companies. Midnight Thursday was the last chance for House bills to win initial, full-chamber approval. Since any proposal can be tacked onto other bills as amendments, no measure is completely dead...

By Jeff Siegel Vote8 8

It was pitched as some kind of high-end investigative piece, screaming the headline: A Philadelphia journalist went undercover as an Uber driver — here's how much she made. Before even reading the first sentence, I knew this was going to be another one of those hit pieces where the big evil corporate monster forces its workers into modern-day slavery. It wasn’t quite that bad, although writing that Uber treats its employees as “utterly disposable numbers in an equation” reveals what I found to be another left-leaning Millennial with little real world experience and access to the Internet. Don’t get me...

By Jeff Siegel Vote3 0

Would you take policy recommendations from iconic stoner Tommy Chong? The National Cannabis Industry Association is betting that most politicians won't. And that's likely the reason the marijuana lobbying group recently dropped Chong from its latest lobbying effort. While it may seem petty to some supporters of marijuana legalization, I get it. Look. The days of patchouli-scented hippies sporting ripped Bob Marley t-shirts while begging random folks to sign petitions to legalize marijuana are over. And I say good riddance! I maintain that one of the biggest hurdles of legalization over the past forty years has been the lack of...

By Jeff Siegel Vote5 0

California is a land with lots of laws and lots of regulations. It's actually become the proverbial “go-to” state for politicians who want to warn of the evils of taxation and socialism. It's true that California is a state where the tax burden is heavy and dependence upon the state is excessive. But I'm not writing about California today to talk about my own hangups with the Golden State. I'm writing about California to talk about a backlash against the state's new regulations that require the space allocated for every egg-laying chicken in California to be increased by nearly 70%....

By Jeff Siegel Vote13 8

I love this headline... "Tourists Flocking to See Cuba Before the Americans Come" Boy, if that doesn't make you feel all warm and fluffy inside. Of course, by Americans, they're talking about U.S. companies — not loud, fanny pack-wearing retirees from New Jersey who will be disgusted by the lack of air conditioning and English-speaking bellmen at their hotels. You see, purists and romantics want to see the real Cuba. They want to see the tobacco plantations of Pinar del Río, the lush tropical forests of Baracoa, and the warm white sands of Santa Lucia. They want to drive through the...

By Jeff Siegel Vote13 2

When I go fishing, I like to clean my catch the minute I reel it in. While some of my fishing buddies think I'm crazy for wasting valuable fishing time by doing this, I find it in line with my desire to cause the least amount of pain and distress for the fish. It is my intention to prevent any unnecessary suffering while ensuring no part of the fish is wasted. This animal is being sacrificed so that I can eat. The least I can do in return is ensure this sacrifice isn't trivialized. Of course, I know I'm in...

By Jeff Siegel Vote31 24

Cannabis Investing and the Quest for Social Responsibility Jun 17, 2017

Does Congressman Steve Scalise Deserve Our Empathy? Jun 15, 2017

DEA Wants to Study Cannabis while Sick People Suffer May 26, 2017

I’m Going to Culturally Appropriate the Shit out of You! Mar 30, 2016

5 mg vardenafil Why I Invest in Legal Marijuana Mar 9, 2016

No Syrians in Alabama? Nov 16, 2015

40 mg of levitra Screw the State! Don’t Tax Marijuana Jul 30, 2015

Vardenafil levitra 20 mg Marijuana Investing is Ethical Investing Jul 23, 2015

Solar Needs Less Government, Not More! Jul 14, 2015

How Solar Can Save Greece from its Keynesian Demons Jul 9, 2015

Is Donald Trump just a Dick? Jul 7, 2015

The Key to Economic Freedom is Self-Reliance Jun 4, 2015

In Defense of Walmart: An Environmentalist’s Perspective May 29, 2015

This Banker Does NOT Suck! May 26, 2015

Liberty-Loving Texas Politicians are full of Shit! May 20, 2015

Don’t Hate on Uber … May 15, 2015

Why I’m Investing in Marijuana Apr 14, 2015

Egg Regulations and the Absurdity of Arkansas Politicians Mar 31, 2015

How to Get Rich in Cuba Mar 26, 2015

A Free Market Solution to Animal Abuse Mar 26, 2015