Is Marijuana the Answer to California's Budget Woes?

Proponents of marijuana legalization have advanced plenty of arguments in support of their drug of choice - that marijuana is less dangerous than legal substances like cigarettes and alcohol; that pot has legitimate medical uses; that the money spent prosecuting marijuana offenses would be better used on more pressing public concerns...

But supporters of legalization may have been handed their most convincing argument yet: the bummer economy. Advocates argue that if state or local governments could collect a tax on even a fraction of pot sales, it would help rescue cash-strapped communities. Not surprisingly, the idea is getting traction in California, home to both the nation"s largest supply of domestically grown marijuana (worth a estimated $14 billion a year) and to the country"s biggest state budget deficit (more than $26 billion)...

"There"s no doubt that the ground is shifting on marijuana," says Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, which promotes alternatives to the war on drugs. "The discussion about regulating and taxing marijuana now has an air of legitimacy to it that it didn"t quite have before. And the economy has given the issue a real turbo charge."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20090722/us_time/08599191211300

 

Haha! I have to say, I'll be flushing rather than selling because It'll be so satisfying seeing their faces when I squeal "weed go bye bye!" outside their room... Then they hear the flush...

Ah, revenge... Waiting until the 29th to see how late they'll be with it

 

Me thinks the war on drugs has little to do with any genuine moral convictions on the part of our leaders.





https://www.prorev.com/whydrugwar.htm

 

The link argues that powerful economic interests have a stake in keeping marijuana illegal. I do not think the opposition to marijuana is that rational. i think those who oppose legalization dislike those who enjoy marijuana.

If marijuana became legal cold hearted capitalists would gouge each other's eyes out in the struggle to produce and market the stuff.

 

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The particular capitalists the articles mentions have quite a bit of political power and influence though. While any number of less powerful groups/individuals would stand to make enormous profits if drugs
were legalized, the entities in question will use any means necessary
to prevent that.

That's pretty much the way our economy works. Genuine competition surely exists, but our system is about as far removed from Laissez-faire as it is from socialism.

Unless we're talking about corporate socialism ofcourse.

Obviously they can't get away with this kind of thing when it comes to sausages or footwear. It's been easy enough to cynically rationalize the "war on drugs" in terms of a moral crusade though.

 

Great post. There's some things in there I never thought of. Thanks for posting it.

 

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OK Krissy what if I do like it? Can I still eat you anyway?

 

whaddayou think, mister???


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I think I wish I had some shrooms.

And you can cyber slap me if you want.

 

well, in that case....



:excited:
now, your turn~


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I've got to admit I really like your style Krissy. And it would be worth taking the first one for a shot at the second one.

 

Hell yea , I drove everybody around me mad:excited:

 

Looks like you got stuck with some losers that just happen to smoke pot.....as for the Taxes on pot, it shouldn't be too high,look how the goverment is wasting money , legal pot can bring many jobs to the market, at a lower cost to the user, and as I said there will be more jobs than just selling it..

 

When I was in the Army and we had to go to the woods/field,some GIs would bring extra smokes to sell.. but no I have never seen a drug dealer sell smokes

 

I don't mind telling you Jim because I bet you understand. But on a day like today marijuana being illegal simply and literally enrages me. I can put up with a lot of pain, but when my muscles in my neck tighten up and start twitching feeling like they are trying to pull my head into my chest cavity and I know relief would be one joint away but I can't have it, it just pisses me right the fuck off.

 

I'm surprised the makers of grow lights aren't advocating for the legalization and growing of pot or maybe they are? I still think people ought to be able to grow their own.

 

Well this does not look good for the pro legalization movement. And what bothers me the most is the new "Drug Czar" is spouting the same old tired rhetoric about marijuana that all his predecessors have.

http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/1553061.html