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Why is marijuana not legal?

Legalizing marijuana has become a topic of debate in recent years. Proposition 19, the Regulate, Control & Tax Cannabis Act in the 2010 mid-term elections brought the debate to the voters to decide whether marijuana should be legalized, regulated and taxed. It failed, receiving only 46 percent of the votes.

Proponents of legalization in the meantime had to settle for decriminalization in 2011, making possession of pot an infraction, with punishment for possessing under an ounce a $100 fee.

In the upcoming elections in November, three states – Washington, Colorado, and Oregon – have proposals on their ballots to legalize marijuana.

Currently marijuana is allowed for medicinal uses in 17 states, including California and Washington D.C. An October 2011 Gallup poll found that a record high 50 percent of Americans are in favor for marijuana legalization with 16.7 million Americans over the age of 12 saying that they have tried marijuana and 70 percent of those polled favoring making marijuana legal for medicinal proposes. So the question is, with so may in favor of legalization, why is marijuana not legal?

Talking about marijuana legalization may be political suicide for any politician, which is why most senators and congressmen shy away from away from it and pass the buck down to the states to decide. But why? With the economy in bad shape, legalization can provide some economic relief for the country, both as a way to cut spending and as a new source of revenue.

A 2008 detailed report released by the Cato Institute shows that the United States would save about $8.7 bmillion dollars from the legalization of marijuana alone, an average $5.3 billion that is spent on the state-level and an average $3.4 billion spent on the federal level to prohibit marijuana. Part of that includes housing prisoners in federal prisons for marijuana related crimes.

The report also shows that if marijuana is regulated and taxed at the same rates as tobacco and alcohol, the U.S. would receive about $8.7 billion in new revenues, $2.9 billion sent to the state level and $5.8 billion sent to the federal level.

Now let’s do the math.

With $8.7 billion in cuts from ending marijuana prohibition and enforcement, another $8.7 billion in new revenues by regulating and taxing the sales of marijuana, that’s $17.4 billion that can be cut from the deficit.

Despite the economic benefits of legalizing marijuana and the fact that half of the country is in favor of, there still has not been a national discussion on this issue. If Washington, Oregon, or Colorado can pass their respective legalization bills this November, they hopefully will offer a first step in bringing this debate to the national stage. Until then the country will just continue to spend too much getting rid of something that can provide so much.

 

Sources:

https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/DrugProhibitionWP.pdf

https://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/legal-medical-marijuana-states-and-dc/

https://news.gallup.com/poll/150149/Record-High-Americans-Favor-Legalizing-Marijuana.aspx

 

 

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6 Replies to “Marijuana: A convincing economic argument for legalization”

  1. I wholeheartedly agree with the logic, but I find one small problem with the numbers you are focusing on. A look at the entire picture is much more of a dramatic point.

    Please check the Department of Justice National Drug Intelligence Center report entitled “The Economic Impact of Illicit Drug Use on American Society” It is a breakdown of State and Federal expenditure fighting the war on the drugs. The study details in just one year 193 billion was spent on it. Marijuana is a critical lynchpin sustaining police department drug squads, private prisons- rehabs and psychiatrist who partake in the war against drugs and suck on the government tit. The ONDCP also releases a similar named report that discloses their expenditure.

    With pharmaceutical grade opiate derivatives causing massive organ damage to a growing addicted society, maybe it is time to even offer heroin legally. What is the cost of the lack of quality control and instruction provided by a legitimate company verse a thug? How many overdoses could be prevented and organs saved when we start to approach drug abuse as a disease with education and health care?!

    Numerous studies have show Marijuana can act as a alternative to depressants like alcohol or stimulants like amphetamine- what is the savings in that? An eminent scientist on the subject Donald Tashkin (check out his interviews on youtube) concludes that even after a half a century of heavy use- no COPD, emphysema or cancer risk. You cannot say the same for anything cannabinoids is a alternative too. I am not even going to get into the 3+ distinct ways it fights cancer and a littany of other diseases (mostly inflammatory like artery hardening), all forms of ischemia (heart attack/stroke/drowning), neurogenesis of a damaged hippocampus (volume and density)

  2. Estimates show that marijuana is America’s number one cash crop. However, marijuana remains untaxed. This is a new source of income for our nation, an income we desperately need.

    Over 500 of the nation’s top economic professors have shared their opinion in supporting the removing the prohibition and imposing the taxation and regulation of marijuana as a way to slow the federal deficit.

    Ending marijuana prohibition would save the US $7.7 BILLION annually. That is nearly as much as Congress’ proposed Budget Control Act. Think of the jobs it would create, the court time I would save and the jail space it would free up for actual criminals.

    Isn’t it time we at least open the floor for debate? Sign the petition below.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_tUy6fylQs

  3. Anyone ELSE gonna comment?
    OK–here’s one from another pro-MJ associate–

    Interesting article on marijuana and hemp. This is a must-read!

    https://www.axs.com/

    An excerpt:

    According to the National Health Institute website: “Properties of CB [cannabinoid] receptor agonists [or “medicines”] that are of therapeutic interest include analgesia, muscle relaxation, immunosuppression, anti-inflammation, antiallergic effects, improvement of mood, stimulation of appetite, antiemesis, lowering of intraocular pressure [glaucoma], bronchodilation, neuroprotection and antineoplastic effects. The current main focus of clinical research is their efficacy in chronic pain and neurological disorders. CB receptor antagonists are under investigation for medical use in obesity and nicotine addiction. Additional potential was proposed for the treatment of alcohol and heroine dependency, schizophrenia, conditions with lowered blood pressure, Parkinson’s disease and memory impairment in Alzheimer’s disease.”

    One has to ask why– despite the known benefits– does the rest of the federal government flatly deny that marijuana is beneficial? Why is Obama/Holder prosecuting legitimate state dispensaries? Who is behind all this? How can doctors, scientists, even the National Institute of Health acknowledge the plethora of medical benefits of this plant– not to mention the fiber, oil, and nutritious seeds of hemp– and all this being ignored by the federal government? If this doesn’t set off alarms in your head, what would? It is blatant lying! If they lie about this, what else are they lying about??? Some of you support the status quo, but this should really give you pause about trusting your government– a government clearly controlled by the liquor, pharmaceutical, and other wealthy lobbies.

  4. Also, since this campaign is (supposidly) all about JOBS, what will happen to the 34,000 (and counting) DEA agents when MJ is legalized? There isn’t enough heroin, meth, and coke being shipped around to keep them all busy. It’s mainly marijuana. And all the other government drug org people would be without purpose. What would they do? (How about, “Here’s your shovel–Ready?”)

  5. “–most senators and congressmen shy away from away from it and pass the buck down to the states to decide.”
    This is incorrect. The 3 states mentioned are taking it upon THEMSELVES to decide–no “buck was passed”. As MJ is still illegal at the Federal level, no matter what the States decide, the Feds can still come in and bust providers.
    It remains illegal because there is too much money being made by keeping it illegal. The pharmaceutical, liquer, and private prison
    industries would lose money, as would all police departments and their unions. The cotton, timber, ethanol and chemical industries would lose money if HEMP were legalized. These folk have the big bucks to lobby congress to keep it illegal, and—THEY DONATE BIG TIME TO RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGNS. As usual–follow the money; what the PUBLIC wants be damned.

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