Marijuana’s going to
be decriminalized
Hell, it pretty much already is. Just ask the folks in California.
Do you really think all the “medical marijuana” prescribed out
there is being used solely by glaucoma sufferers? Come on now …
It’s only a matter of time – probably not a long time – that
pot becomes legal, with all the restrictions on use and distribution that apply
to beer, wine and hard liquor.
And of course, with healthy Federal, state and local taxes,
too.
Several powerful forces are going to unite to make this
happen: the Feds – for the tax dollars; law
enforcement – because they have more pressing issues; and, yes, the Baby Boomers – because we
remember the good old days, plus we are starting to get those little aches and
pains that we think a hit or two might take away.
And it’s about damn time.
Nobody’s ever been able to stop people in this country from
smoking weed. It’s never been proven to
be a “gateway drug” to harder stuff. It’s
as much of a gateway drug as milk and cookies; most hard-core addicts probably “used”
those at some time in their life as well.
But what about little Sue and Johnny? Won’t they be increasingly
susceptible to the wiles of weed when it becomes legal? With the same rules and restrictions as
alcohol, there won’t be widespread legal access to kids.
That doesn’t mean kids won’t get their hands on a joint or
two, any more than you can prevent them from sneaking a nip from your liquor
cabinet now.
(Okay, bad example for you parents out there. But if you are honest with yourself – and remember
what you were like as a kid – you know that’s going to happen anyway.)
On the plus side, an awful lot of new revenue will flow into
Federal and state coffers on sales in the billions that are currently untaxed
and unregulated. Estimates vary from $40
billion to $100 billion annually in new tax revenue, if the street price of pot
remained exactly the same as now, but real manufacturing and distribution costs
became more like tobacco.
It's an economic transfer from organized crime to the
government. Talk about a win/win
situation.
When pot is regulated, quality-controlled and mass produced,
that alone will push a lot of bad guys out of business (along with some fairly decent
folks, too, unfortunately).
Think about it: how many
times do you hear about someone illegally making cigarettes or booze, for that
matter? Who is going to buy weird stuff
of doubtful provenance when they can go to their local government-run store and
pick up a pristine two-joint pack of Mr. Zig-Zags or Marlboro Highs?
Law enforcement will be able to reduce the time and expense
now wasted on chasing down and prosecuting growers, dealers and distributors –
they’ll all be licensed and easily found; probably dues-paying members of the
local Chamber of Commerce before long.
Local farm economies will boom as well.
Screw ethanol production.
It gave us lower gas mileage and higher food prices. We can stop those subsidies as well – pot won’t
need them – so there’s another budget cut.
Plus, growing our own pot will be a real poke in the eye to
the Mexican cartels and Columbians. (Take that Jose and Pepe – don’t need you or
your mules anymore; we got our own stash.
Pretty soon, you’ll be smuggling our stuff over to your
side of the border for a change.)
That’s
got to help us with trade deficits.
Look, millions of Americans have smoked pot with no ill
effects … well, beyond acting stupid, laughing at dumb things and eating too
much. But the same could be said for alcohol and reality TV.
(Except almost nobody gets into fights
when they’re stoned, unlike alcohol and on reality TV.)
Certainly, other drugs routinely induce violent tendencies
in users, but usually not pot. Keep those
as tightly controlled and criminalized as you want – that’s warranted.
Marijuana’s in a different class altogether. More like alcohol, without the long-term
damaging effects on your liver.
For those opposed to legalization, please remember the lessons of
Prohibition when America tried to banish alcohol. They apply equally to the current prohibition
on marijuana today.
During Prohibition, people still found ways to get
alcohol. People still drank. Organized crime had a field day supplying
alcohol. Bootleggers made millions off
the books smuggling whisky. Violent
crimes soared as gangs fought for control of the liquor trade. The government spent a fortune trying to control
the uncontrollable.
Meanwhile widespread corruption plagued law enforcement,
because bootleggers paid better than a cop’s salary, starting what many sociologists still believe was a general decline in public respect for law and order.
People still drank. And
then it was over. The Volstead Act was
repealed. The world didn’t end.
Now, making and selling alcoholic beverages are legitimate and respected businesses. Quality -- and access -- is regulated. Federal, state and local taxes on liquor amount to
about $16 billion a year.
Legalized marijuana could bring in a lot, lot more, and cut
government spending and trade deficits at the same time.
It’s time to give it a shot.
It’s going to happen sooner or later anyway.
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