Up to a certain amount, 100 gallons, but how do they know how many gallons I'm brewing in my basement if they aren't checking? The issue in Iowa is if you start trying to sell homebrew they get on you about it and could arrest your and/or fine you. They basically just want their piece of the pie and it's B.S.
Plus, I believe hard liquor is a different animal than beer. I don't think you can distill any amount of alcohol without having the proper federal approval. So, it stands to reason that MJ may be treated more like distilled alcohol than home brewed beer. I home brew beer (12 gallons at a time) and have never been concerned with getting hassled by anyone. If I tried to sell it (any amount) I would assume that might raise some issues.
personally, i think that is your own business and if people trust you enough to purchase it from you, so be it. but i also understand that state's concern with unregulated sales of alcohol.
In my opinion, the benefits in general are secondary.
Pretty much anything sold for consumption is subject to some level of regulation. That is probably a good thing. But FYI, I'm not that guy in the BWW commercial with the rubber gloves making bratwurst beer on my couch and forcing it on his friends. It is very good stuff, as good or better than anything you can buy commercially. Although I will say that I know many other guys that home brew and I would not feel comfortable drinking some of these guys concoctions. It is virtually impossible to make it dangerous but I am really anal about a high degree of cleanliness and sanitizing. I would love to take it up a notch and start a microbrewery but it takes a bunch of cash to get something like that going. And I have the feeling it might then become more like work taking some of the fun out of it.
Hmmmm, you seem to know know an awful lot about distillation..... Seriously though, when I brew, I use a rather large open flame (turkey fryer) on the boil for about an hour and a half, not to mention also using it to heat up my mash water. You're right though, the biggest reason would appear to be tax $$'s and regulatory fees. I know a guy that opened a microbrewery and the crap and length of time it took for him to get his federal alcohol license was obscene. About broke the guy making him wait to produce until it was all legal.
