This week, I would like to revist a topic I have previously blogged about to get your opinion. Could legalizing marijuana be the answer to saving our economy? We all know that the war on drugs is an expensive battle. A great deal of time, money and resources go into catching those who buy or sell illegal drugs, prosecuting and incarcerating them. There is no way to effectively measure the amount of revenue marijuana brings in, but legalization would eliminate the risk buyers and sellers take now, causing the demand to rise. Increased demand could bring in more revenue for the government, if marijuana was being taxed similarly to alcohol and tobacco.
California State Assembly member Tom Ammiano introduced legislation last month, that would legalize marijuana and allow California to regulate and tax its sale. Marijuana is already California's biggest cash crop, bringing in $14 billion in annual sales. California's tax collectors estimate the new bill would bring in $1.3 billion in additional revenue each year. California was one of the first states to legalize marijuana in 1996. US Attorney General Eric Holder recently announced that states should be able to make their own rules on medical marijuana.
However, despite the fact that legalizing marijuana may bring a much needed revenue, opponents say legalizing pot will only add to social woes; increasing crime, drug addiction, mental health disorders, and driving up insurance rates.So my question to you this week is "Should the United States legalize marijuana, medicinally or otherwise?" Answers are due by Thursday, October 29th, 2009.
Ummmmm, like hey man, ummmmm, what was the question?
ReplyDeleteI think weed should be legalized. This country is soooo uptight. A little mellowing out would be a good thing. Trafficking illegal weed from Mexico and South America would be one less thing for the DEA to worry about. There is a huge potential for the government to make billions of dollars on the taxes to help the economy and create new jobs for farmers. The "social woes" mentioned were increased crime, drug addiction, mental health disorders and driving up insurance rates. Alcohol already tops this list of "social woes". I would much rather see people abusing weed than abusing alcohol. A side benefit of weed compared to alcohol is that you don't puke on your shoes. Other benefits include:
1) Taking away the power and profits from violent drug cartels and street thugs
2) Government grown weed would be regulated and quality stuff, not something you buy on the street from who knows?
3) Jail overcrowding will be reduced because of fewer weed related arrests and prosecutions.
And finally, there is much debate about weed as a "gateway drug" leading to harder drugs. My opinion is that weed does not lead to harder drugs. The main gateway to harder drugs is the black market. If you buy weed from a dealer, chances are good the dealer also has some coke or meth for sale. If weed was available for purchase at the local Village Pantry, buyers would not find any coke or meth on the shelves.
Keith M.
I believe that if marijuana were made legal our country could be a better place. Really, if we take a long hard look at all of the people who have been arrested for recreational use of marijuana and all the hardships that come along with it ie: probation, court costs, it is just not worth it. Who are they hurting? Let's not forget,this stuff grows naturally. It's not a man made, chemically altered substance! It was put here on this earth to be used. Alcohol, in my opinion, presents a much bigger problem in this country than a little pot does. Marijuana is not proven to be addictive, look at how many alcoholics exist today, and it remains legal. If the government sold marijuana in drug stores and taxed it something high like even 20%, they would make a killing and people would but it. I bet they would make far more than they are making off of the strictly marijuana related convictions. That way they could take the money and invest it in our parks-or anywhere-and worry about something more important.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely not. I feel that there are more constructive ways to increase revenue besides legalizing a drug. The effects that weed has on people should be the bigger issue when compared to money. I know individuals who spend a great deal of their time smoking and doing absolutely nothing with their lives. Wouldn't the world benefit from intellectual people who can creatively change the world without the effects of drugs hindering their success?
ReplyDeleteOn one hand, I want to agree with Des on not 'legalizing another drug' for us to have available at our disposal.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the individuals who waste their time with it, more than likely, will be wasting their time with the easiest form of escaping the conscious world anyway. Take alcohol for example, successful people may drink on occasion, but hold it within their own set limits of moderation. Others who may be not as successful may not be able to control their alcohol use.
I foresee legalizing marijuana having a similar effect alcohol creates, or possibly not as much. The using limit will be upon each individual person, and parents will need to educate as they would any other legal drug.
Now medicinal purposes will need to be handled by someone else, as I have no research on that, nor to I care to.
in my opinion the plant has very many good uses other then to catch a buzz. with the fact that in the early days of our country it was used for many things outside of the drug aspect. on the drug side it has more advantages than non. the medicinal uses are well proven and the fact that one single state can make that much money off the medicinal use only. if it was to be sold as alcohol and such with each state holding its own state taxes it would lead to billions of additional yearly revenue. one more thing like stated above it would remove alot of the minor petty possesion charges that populate our jails. but to say a person will treat "POT" the same as alcohol probably has very little or no experience with it. i feel it is safer than alcohol because 99% of people that smoke it are not going to hop in a car and swerve across the median and kill a family of 4 like u hear 20 times + a year around the state. that being said i feel that all in all it would benifit the econamy with additional jobs, more people would simple prefer to smoke a joint rather than go out to a bar.
ReplyDeleteLegalizing marijuana in the United States could depend on whose hand will be holding the drugs. If a patient is terminally ill or have unbearable pain, then a physician could prescribe the drug for the patient. However, on the flip side of this, the physician could start abusing the prescribed drug by distributing to family and friends, or possibly using the drug for themselves ….if this is not already happening….which would cause even a greater problem. So, I guess it depends on how the drug will be used. Lee Jackson
ReplyDeleteAlthough there are many influences on this topic, I have some pointed views concerning this subject. It has been proven there are medical reasoning behind the use. In that case, I would support the use. I have some reservations about legalizing the use for anything but municipal reasons though. The effct it has on people who frequently use the drug could prove to be detrimental to society. If too much use is bad for the brain, then I have a problem with that. Our society is hairbrained enough and we don't need anymore help. When considering the money generated from taxing the sales of marijuana, there is no question it would impact our economy. Some argue you would not be able to regulate it close enough and people would grow their own, but I don't see too many grow lights where people grow their own tobbaco. I spend $5.00 a day on Winston rather than grow my own and I am sure there would be a myriad of people that would do the same thing with marijuana. I tend to lean toward a hesitant view, partly due to my religious background. Anything in excess is not good. If people now take a chance to go to prison just to get there next high I am quite certain excess would be the norm if you could simply walk to the nearest store and purchase more.
ReplyDeleteBruce A. Wilson
The government should legalize marijuana. The economy would recover in no time. Crime is caused by people who take advantage of the fact that it is illegal. People get robbed and beat up and nothing is reported because they can't tell the police the were selling or buying drugs. I think crime would go down since everything would be out in the open, legal and controlled. Drug addiction is going to be a problem no matter what. People have always wanted everything in excess and that is a person's own problem. I don't think mental health issues would change because there are so many people who already smoke. Marijuana doesn't cause a person to black out or become angry or a crier, or want to go drive. Most stoners are lazy and don't want to hurt anyone or drive anywhere or do anything. This would be a negative in our society, but from a safety aspect marijuana isn't as bad as alcohol or sleeping pills or energy drinks.
ReplyDeleteBy lifting the ban on marijuana and treating it like tobacco and alcohol the nation would see immediate long-term benefits. The legalization of marijuana would benefit the economy in a couple of ways. Federal revenues would increase because marijuana cigarettes would be taxed at the point of sale. Also, the companies that make these cigarettes would be paying income taxes. Secondly, the government would reduce what is being spent on enforcement efforts and possibly focus more on harder drugs and violent crimes. At the same time the bogged down courts may find some relief, not having to hear all the marijuana cases.
ReplyDeleteI feel that if marijuana were legalized, doctors and scientists could move forward into investigating marijuana's medical uses without the controversy that surrounds it. Also, people who use marijuana for glaucoma and nausea would find it readily available.
I'm not sure that legalizing marijuana would necessarily "save the economy", but I think that it could go a long way in helping.
California has always been able to see the big picture on many controversal topics. California sees marijuana as something to stimulate their economy and have benefical effects on medical use. I do agree with legalizing marijuana. At this point, I do think that the states should be able to make the decision to legalize it. California should show the other states how they have incorporated it and the plus and minuses that they face. I know that when a person is caught by the police with non-medicinal marijuana in California, the police just stomp out the bag and send you on your way. If we did that in Indiana, arrest would go down and the tax payers would be spending less money to keep these misdemearnor offences out of jail.
ReplyDeleteI believe in the growth of marijuana, not only for medical use, but the benefits of the product itself.
If marijuana was legal, then the hemp plant could be grown. Allowing us to start another crop that would help stiulate the economy. It is such an amazing plant and many products can be produced from it. Agriculture would have a new crop and the farmers would have more options to stimulate the land and economy. Our country is known for farming and it has been in a downward spiral for many years.
This should be studied and explored.
Besides looking to California, other countries that marijuana is leaglized in should play a role also. I know that there is a lot to consider in this decision, but examining the truth would prove to be beneficial.
I'm not quite sure what everybody is afraid of. It's time to really understand the facts from the fiction.
I think marijuana should be legalized because, I think it is ignorant to make something illegal that comes from the earth. Marijuana would be one less problem the government would have to worry about if it was made legal. There are I think other issues the government should be more concerned about. They should concentrate more on crime and other things we are doing that is killing the planet. Cleaning our water ways and making water available for people who are not so fortunate to get it will defiantly make a difference. I really don't no why the government thinks that if marijuana was legal it will cause more crime. I think that it being illegal is causing there to be more crime issues. I don't think I have ever heard of someone dying of marijuana, probably because it is not as harmful as other drugs. And its the other drugs that should be banned.
ReplyDeleteI dont think that it should be totally legalized to the public but it should be used for medical reasons only. But there are other ways that we can help out our economy and this is not a way to do it. Then there are other points to if we legalize it we take away all of the money being spent on catching these people that sell it and the people that smoke it but if we take it away then we let them win in the long way.
ReplyDeleteI think that the government should legailize marijuana. I also agree with Jonathan Owens about how the government should focus more on the crimes, killings, and violence that our world is so known for. Even though a lot of people sell it, it's illegal, but they do make money off of doing it. I know I probably shouldn't be saying this, but you got to make your money some way or another. I say this because it's hard for a lot of people to get jobs right now. I wouldn't sell it though. People do smoke it to, but it has never done any harm to them.
ReplyDeleteAnna Wilson
ReplyDeleteI feel that marijuana should be legalized. It is a great way to increase revenue and could very likely be the way that we are able to get out of the hardships our economy is in. In the past, we have legalized other things, such as alcohol, that has helped the economy out of financially by doing this. There are several studies showing that no one has died directly from smoking marijuana, whereas alcohol is already legal and several people die from alcoholism every year. I feel that crime will also decrease because of the amount of people that are breaking the law by smoking and dealing marijuana. Marijuana does not cause people to act violently either, which would help in that sense of crimes as well. I also feel that marijuana can be used as a medicine and for the people that should have marijuana as a medicine should have their right to it.
1) I have mix opinions on the issue of legalizing marijuana. I defiantly feel that it would help the economy, mainly from all of the taxes that would be paid on it. Just imagine if every state was like California. Particularly, Morenci County, which made millions in marijuana sales. The country could really benefit from the taxes made from marijuana. It could even possibly lower the taxes taken from civilians. Sure they could find a different way to stimulate the economy, but would it as affective?. Also the plants can be used much more then just for a quick buzz. It would even have many of the same benefits as a tree. And how many uses have we found for trees. It would defiantly make more people buy food and groceries. Of course, we all know that the more we spend the more it stimulates the economy. Marijuana would help the government on a state, local, and federal level. It’s just that every body is tied up on the word “drug“. Get over it.
ReplyDelete2) On another note, why is alcohol and cigarettes classified as drugs, but yet they’re legal. Of course making any drug legal will have its draw-backs, just take a look at alcohol abuse, alcohol related traffic injuries and deaths, alcohol related violent crimes, alcohol induced domestic disputes, lung cancer, second-hand smoke, emphysema, lung pneumonia, and of course bad breath. The list is even more extensive then previously mentioned, those are just the most popular. So if legalizing those drugs helped the economy, then just maybe legalizing marijuana will do the same, and probably more so. Especially considering it has less side-effects and even a few benefits then a lot of our so-called legal drugs we have today. I mean really, can alcohol even be consider for medical use? Okay, what about cigarettes? Medical use? I think not. Yet they are legal and frequently used by millions, and even of course used by state officials. Why is that I wonder? So, with that said, I can’t find any reason why marijuana should illegal when alcohol and cigarettes aren’t. What’s the worse that can happen? You’ll sit down somewhere and go to sleep or go somewhere to get something to eat. You would figure that most people would be okay with those side-effects.
I believe that marijuana should be legalized. Just by using the pro/con system.
ReplyDeletePros:
The Government will have more control over the substance.
The Government will be able to tax substance.
The Government will be able to montor the purity of the substance.
There will be less people imprisioned due to the substance.
Cons:
People will have easy acess to the substance.
People will be able to get 'stoned' as they please.
May cause a rise in taffic violations.
May cause an incease of useage.
It is eays to see that the pros weigh out the the cons. Even more so if the Govenment legalisis it smartly. The same laws on that are on achohol and maybe more so.
First: No driving while under the influnance.
Second: No smoking while in public.
Third: Be a set distance from non-smokers/children before using. (The distance would have to be judged by scienfic study)
Of course there would be others. But in the end, it will save the ecomony by bring in more revune in the form of taxes.
I believe that Marijuana should be legalized because it's already a very profitable drug and it would be even more profitable if it was legalized for the public. There are already harmful things that are legalized and this isnt as harmful as the others. With the amount of people that spend money to smoke it illegally, it is possible that it could boost the revenue in the economy a bit. Not saying it'll be drastic but it will improve the economy. In fact, Marijuana should just replace tobacco altogether.j/k....If it is legalized though i do agree with T.Spatz about implementing Laws when under the influence of the substance.
ReplyDeleteNO,NO,NO!!! Sorry to those who don't agree with me, but then again I'm not. Marijuana is not an element that I believe should be legalized, because in my view it's taring down the male factor in jobs. So many men believe that supporting their family with quick and fast money is by selling marijuana. Which leads them into bad situations of life.
ReplyDeleteDrugs to me is a total turn off, for the simple fact that I know there are much better ways to support, strees relief, or become cool. You have children at young ages wanting to feel grown, and think making fast money or using marijuana is the right path. So "Shawnice" I will have to disagree with you on the making money somehow.
Yes, I have family members till this day that would love for marijuana to be legalized, but I see it as becoming more harmful to the world then it is now. It's not only killing people self-esteem of life, but killing the next generation to come. ~Anesia M.~
There are so many great reasons to legalize marijuana I dont even know where to begin. The war on drugs is a joke. Marijuana being illegal is an even bigger joke. It is crazy to me to think about the amount of non-violent drug offenders overcrowding our jail systems right now, and it is partly due to weed. I honestly dont believe any drugs should be illegal because people are going to make the choice to either do it or not do it. Now I'm not saying that if you decide to shoot up and get behind the wheel and kill somebody that you should not be punished, I am saying that making the drugs illegal really stops nobody because no matter what the drugs will be here as long as there is a demand. We waste billions of dollars each year to stop the importing of these illegal drugs that only stops a small percentage of the product from coming in. We live in a society where you can go to a bar and order 15 drinks but it is illegal to smoke a joint. I still to this day have never heard of a marijuana overdose, and I am pretty sure that the amount of marijuana related deaths compared to alcohol related deaths are nowhere even close to eachother. Marijuana will probably never be legalized in the U.S., but I do think it should be used medically. The medical benefits of marijuana are facts....it helps. I have known people who were terminally ill with cancer who started using marijuana and it made their pain much easier to deal with. I think everybody deserves that right.
ReplyDeletethis is such a hard topic for me to think about let alone talk about it. i hate marijuna! hate it, hate it, hate it!!! i understand that maybe there are some medical bennifits but what about the negative effects of it? people act so stupid and don't care about anything while doing it which could lead to neglect and child abuse. i think leagalizing marijuna for the economy would be a cop out.
ReplyDelete-naomi victorson
I will not deny my own personal interest, but I still have revelations about the legalization of marijuana. I agree with both parties on this one because I am on both sides of the track on this issue. I think that there are a great many number of reactions to pot depending on who you ask or how many occassions an individual has been exposed to it or been around others who enjoy it. Lets not say that EVERYONE who smokes pot will become lazy or stupid. I will not say that someone could have had an experience around a crowd of people who were a little less educated and maybe became a bit ridiculous or just dazed out, but for the most part the dedicated users enjoy its benifits but are able to deal with the REAL WORLD on a much lighter note. It's more to be used as a stress reliever just the same as with alcohol. Moderation is ALWAYS key with any habitual drug. The same could be said of food. I would hope that with the legalization of marijuana that most people in our normal society would use it wisely, but we are not a race of ignorant people. There is always someone out there who will ruin it for the rest of us. Personally.....I'm more worried about a drunk man or woman trying to rob me, steal my car,
ReplyDeleteor kill me on the road in a horrific accident than I am worried about a bunch of pot-heads coming to jack me for my cheetos and visine. :) Seriously though, rules should still be in play and I would not advise driving on it either, but if there are those that would anyway, I'm sure we can just pass them because they are usually too paranoid to speed. :) I would hope that a Mother and Father would think carefully about their consumption around their children. We all know that some woudl not, but does anyone remmber POLTERGEIST? The mom and dad were rolling a joint, smokingand having a blast in the bedroom until the kids walked in and they completely turned their attention to them without question. Is that not a message of some kind? Seemed pretty bold to me. I must give them props! Most people enjoy marijuana casually, with friends, or at home alone. They typically don't get too far after that. When you're in the moment and rolling with it; things like ordering a pizza can be difficult.
The best reason for pot to become legalized is to weed out all the "crime" associated. What I mean by that is that there is too much time spent on arrest and penalties of marijuana possession. I'm not exactly sure that medical marijuana but not marijuana to everyone would be the solution. It would have to be all or nothing. I don't have a problem with it not being legalized accept for the scare factor of being caught with it ever. It shouldn't be something to live in fear of possessing, it's not heroin or crack. It also bothers me that some parents smoke, which goes onto a whole other issue to me. If a parent were to smoke, it would have to be when their children are adults or if they would not being around them for a longer time for some reason (like vacation). So I'm not completely sold on marijuana being legalized totally. Medical, eh.. that's lame! Most don't use it for medical use.
ReplyDelete