A black market for Spam in Hawaii is forcing retailers to store the canned meat product behind lock and key to stop a string of thefts. The rash of heists of the mystery meat – a processed blend of pork known for its incredibly long shelf life – has prompted some proprietors to treat it like a pricey luxury item, putting the cans behind plastic cases to stop shoplifters looking to flip the island “staple” for quick cash, the Washington Post reports.
Source: Hawaii’s Spam black market blamed for spate of crime | New York Post
I knew Hawaiians love Spam, but a black market on a non-restricted non-addictive item? Am I missing something here?
This is not a good indicator for the legalization of drugs. Just my two cents.
This is not a good indicator for the legalization of drugs.
Depends on what your goals are. I don’t want to legalize drugs for the benefit of drug users, I want to legalize them for my benefit–fewer excuses for government intrusion, less theft from me necessary, less violence that might spill out to me or people I care about.
It’s a near textbook example of scarcity in economic terms, though.
I’m booking a Hawaiian vacation today and pack all of our carry on with Spam. I’m going to be the Heisenberg of canned processed luncheon meats. Tip people in packages of Spam singles. Going to parties stuffing cans of “s meat” into g-strings. Doing lines of ketchup off the ass of a $5,000 a night Hooker. Bitches better make way for Big Hormel, the canned meat king of the Island.
“This is not a good indicator for the legalization of drugs.”
Quite the contrary. As the article notes, comparing it to the laundry detergent theft in California, this product isn’t being stolen and sold for cash as in a typical “black market.” It’s being stolen to trade for drugs.
You can’t trade your local pharmacist dish soap or canned vegetables in exchange for refilling your OxyContin ‘scrip. You can offer your local meth dealer a month’s worth of laundry detergent or a case of lunch meat for a couple hits of Molly.
What’s even worse than black market spam is that they are selling it with pineapple on top 🙂
That’s just wrong
I knew Hawaiians love Spam, but a black market on a non-restricted non-addictive item? Am I missing something here?
Montreal has a thriving black market in cheese. Cheese!!
That market exists because the import taxes on fine and exotic cheeses are so high, it’s literally worth the risk for a restaurateur to buy it for slightly-over-market-price from a smuggler to avoid the insanely-high taxes.
Any time the supply-vs-demand weighs heavily toward “demand” — which causes scarcity and raised prices — there’s a risk for a black market developing to profit from it.
Plus, with all the scares about North Korea, I imagine some people are wanting to have a supply of a shelf-stable protein source (translates to a heightened demand), but may not be able to purchase it at retail with cash (excessive purchases raise flags; nobody wants to be caught hoarding). The black market has the option of bartering (SPAM for drugs or other goods) or paying with some kind of “service” (use your imagination) to build a stockpile off-the-books.
I see little relation to the legalization of drugs. There will always be a black market in drugs, for those who want to buy and use anonymously and/or who want to avoid paying the taxes (some states’ tax structures for marijuana are nuts!). At the same time, there are enough people willing to pay the taxes to remain on the up-and-up that the legal, regulated market will also do well.
That’s my two cents. 🙂