[fight_truth_decay]

First off, I am not a Libertarian.

The subject foremost is Economics, which we are focusing on here.

A report by Professor Jeffrey A. Miron, The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition shows that marijuana legalization -- replacing prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation -- would save $7.7 billion per year in state and federal expenditures on prohibition enforcement and produce tax revenues of at least $2.4 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like most consumer goods. If, however, marijuana were taxed similarly to alcohol or tobacco, it might generate as much as $6.2 billion annually.

I look at more the Drug Cartels and how MS-13 has hunkered down in major cities across the US, become a nightmare in Mexico with severed heads displayed in boxes, made Phoenix the kidnapping capital,named Arizona the new drug gateway into the United States.

Joseph Kennedy made his money as an alleged "rum runner"(no witnesses) down through the Notches or boat runners out of Nova Scotia etc during Prohibition.

What better way to make money, than to make something hard to get, making those who have it, whatever it is, able to command whatever price. Powerful Canadians, and there were many others, many prominent, connected people in the US, making huge sums of untaxed money on the profits of rum running>

When Prohibition officially ended, with the ratification of the 21st amendment, Kennedy and his company, Somerset Importers, were poised to take advantage of the country’s legalized thirst with an enormous stockpile of liquor imports.(U.S. agent for Haig & Haig Ltd., John Dewar and Sons, Ltd. and Gordon's Dry Gin Company Ltd.)

So one might ask, who would be first in line to hold the growing, manufacturing, importing, production, distribution rights etc. to "drugs" if legalized? and would the homicidal maniacal gangs crumble at that point.

The cost of the War on Drugs has been enormous. We all can agree on that; and economically over time, a failure. But then the mayor of . Rosarito Beach, CA says: with "..fragmented leadership and relentless warring between factions wanting to dominate the flow of drugs into the United States( following the arrest in 2006 of the leader of the Arellano-Felix cartel).. Torres said, "I think we’re seeing the end of this fighting among themselves because I don’t think there are very many left of these head men."

Drug War Cost Clock updated for 2009.

[Responsibility2nd]

Look at it this way.

When prohibition ended, it legalized the bootleggers.

As gambling was mainstreamed into our economy, it legitimized the Mafia. In fact the State makes more $$$ from gambling than the Mafia ever did.

And when drugs are legalized??? It will turn MS-13 into bona fide businessmen here in the US.

Prof. Miron has much to say about the savings legalized dope will bring us.

Funny, I see no figures about the loss of productivity when millions of US citizens are turned into addicts overnight. And of the costs of building new prisons to house the millions of Americans who turn to crime as drug addicts do.