Posted on 10/27/2009 7:53:18 AM PDT by La Lydia
...The U.S. (federal and states) will spend about $47 billion this year on drug enforcement, clogging our court systems and overcrowding our prisons, in many cases dooming young men to a life in the underclass...And I don’t think we’re getting a good value for our $47 billion. In fact, I think our efforts may be counterproductive, and that we should explore a more sensible route, the same one we use for alcohol and tobacco. In short, legalize it, regulate it and tax it.
Legalization would quickly shrink that $47 billion annual cost of law enforcement to a small fraction of its present level. In its place, we’d have federal quality control inspectors to keep tabs on the legal producers (thus reducing poisonings and overdoses). Entrepreneurs would spring up out of the woodwork to become producers, and with the increased supply prices would fall to more reasonable levels. Profits would drop. And organized crime would soon be out of the business.
A 2008 study by Harvard economist Jeffrey A. Miron estimated that legalizing drugs would inject $76.8 billion a year into the U.S. economy--$44.1 billion from law enforcement savings, and at least $32.7 billion in tax revenue ($6.7 billion from marijuana, $22.5 billion from cocaine and heroin, the remainder from other drugs). I’m not ready to argue for legalizing those harder drugs, but I do think a country as deep in debt as ours should stop giving money away on unproductive projects and start looking for positive cash flows.
Leading the way already is our country’s lifestyle pioneer, California. This past July, 80% of Oakland, California voters chose to impose a tax of 1.8% on medical marijuana sales, which could bring the cash-strapped city nearly $300,000 next year.
And California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, a Democrat from San Francisco, introduced legislation that if approved by the California Legislature, would put pot on the same legal footing as alcohol--legalizing its sale and having the state tax it. Ammiano called it "simply nonsensical" to keep marijuana, the state's top cash crop, unregulated and untaxed in light of the state's massive financial problems.
The value of California's marijuana crop is estimated at $14 billion annually. That’s almost twice the combined value of vegetables and grapes, the state's second and third most-valuable crops. Ammiano estimated passage of his pot legalization proposal could generate more than $1.3 billion for state coffers....
I think it’s healthy to look at Prohibition as the study case for this. Sure, frat boys are getting trashed, but we don’t have armed mobs shooting up neighborhoods over booze anymore...
"tax the hell out of it" and send in the ATF to enforce the tax codes when people grow their own?
Regulate it like tobacco to say that it cannot be flavored, cannot be smoked on a porch or in a residence or in a car with children or...
Even Amsterdam banned smoking tobacco in public.
Of course, we're desperately trying to grow our economy, increase our productivity, and compete in a global marketplace.
So I'm not sure that becoming a nation of stoners is quite what we need right now.
I'll add that the banking crisis was a manufactured crisis and a deliberate looting of the American economy to forever shackle us with a nationalized socialist system. Welcome to America 2.0, comrade.
I will point out, in return, that there are not nearly as many people that use, or would contemplate trying, cocaine and heroin as there are that use, or would use if legal, marijuana.
I knew I should have patented my Marijuana Powered Skateboard!
We have armed black muslims in California smashing up liquor stores. There are still prohibitionists in our midst.
Meh...that's cool because those are next in line for social acceptance, God help us all.
So, the "war" on drugs will turn into a "war" on tax evaders as people continue to grow and sell dope without paying the taxes. Hell, people still steal and smuggle cigarettes because of the commie taxes.
Wrong if done correctly the tax revenue from legalization would be put to good use hiring more LE or DEA agents... But this is in a perfect world... In reality the tax revenue would go to building Mosque and welfare babies...
But where would over the counter xanex fall on that “scale”?
And cocaine abuse is back bigtime in the bars.
Pot does something totally different than coke. I don’t think you can do enough of one to get the side effects of the other.
If it were true, then liquor stores would be selling heroin & cocaine.
I support states rights and the Bill of Rights, therefore, I support the decriminalization of all drugs.
And, I don't even drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes. So, I have no stake in this argument except as a free citizen. The War on Some Drugs is unconstitutional and criminal.
Those numbers won't take too long to turn around and start ramping up.
I knew I should have patented my Marijuana Powered Skateboard!
I don’t have any problems with legalization of marijuana but I wish its fervent supporters would be realistic about it.
Legalization won’t mean less laws. It will mean a whole rainbow of new laws. About the only laws you would get rid of are those that deal with possession of small amounts. Instead you’ll get laws regarding driving under the influence of marijuana, laws regarding minors in possession of marijuana and God knows how many other laws.
Before anyone tells me that doing away with possession laws will prevent millions from going to prison, think again. How many people really go to prison for possession of small amounts as the only charge? I’ve been busted for possession twice myself and never spent a day in jail.
3....2....1.... until the word “statist” is thrown out there.
I’m waiting for the Democrats to admit that the trillions of dollars spent on the War On Poverty have not eradicated poverty or even moved significant numbers of people out of poverty. It has just served to keep Democrats in office.
Sure, but wouldn’t all this saved money have to be spent on tax collection and adding new staff to existing regulatory agencies like the FDA?
The only thing I hate about legalization is that wouldn’t it make government even bigger?
Like so many government solutions theysolve one problem by creating another.
Once the Government has a financial interest in marijuana, they will see to it that the price is regulated and maintained at an artificially high level. Every time there is a tax shortfall (which will be every year). They will raise taxes.
Once it is legal, the trial lawyers will start funding research on the damaging health effects of the evil weed. Price will go up again.
Since it is now legal, people will start growing it themselves and for sale to their friends. This will be outlawed as bootlegging and the treasury service will arrest people for tax evasion and put them in jail for longer than marijuana possession now.
Seeing a billion dollar opportunity, Mexicans will sneak marijuana over the border and there will be gunfights in the streets of Tiajana.
Sounds like a good plan.
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