Legalize Marijuana?

azmastablasta

New member
Do you believe it would work? While some aspects of her assertion could certainly be true,I believe she must be smokin' it if she truly believes any other taxes would ever be cut,JMO.

Why I Support Legalizing Marijuana Now
by Kristen Davis

I approach the issue of marijuana legalization as an economic conservative and libertarian. It is an estimated $5 billion underground industry in my home state of New York. I say legalize, regulate and tax it to create new revenues so New York’s more regressive income and property taxes an be cut.

When economic recessions decimate state coffers, politicians usually turn to their traditional streams of revenue to replenish their budgets. In other words, they raise taxes and strain the very system that is already overburdened. Currently, New Yorkers carry one of the highest tax burdens in the country, and city and local budgets all over the state are straining for every dollar. It is clear that New York State has reached critical mass in the taxation of its citizenry. New York needs innovation and recent developments in California can serve as a model for our state.

Californians who use marijuana are asking the government to tax and regulate its use as a potential solution to their current budget crisis. New York should follow suit.

I know talk of legalization of pot immediately sets off a clamor among the anti-drug crowd, but their rhetoric is generally exaggerated, erroneous or plain wrong. They are misinformed and the unfounded fears surrounding marijuana use has stuffed our prisons full of nonviolent people and saddled our state with outlandish incarceration costs for decades. The demonization of marijuana must stop. There is a plethora of scientific opinions that debunk marijuana myths, but the true tragedy is that marijuana criminalization has been an epic failure.

The disinformation surrounding marijuana use must be dispelled. No body of evidence supports its reputation as a “gateway” to other harder drugs. It is no more addictive than coffee. The health risks of alcohol and tobacco dwarf those of marijuana. It has proven medical benefits. And it was legal for many years.

The revenue potential is enormous. We would eliminate a huge class of criminals , save wasted millons in law-enforcement costs and empty out costly jail cells while also collecting taxes on marijuana use while cutting the income and sales tax.. New Yorkers deserve a tax break so let’s innovate. I say regulate and tax marijuana use now.

http://biggovernment.com/kdavis/2010/04/19/lets-legalize-marijuana-use-now/
 
I agree with legalization. We desperately need new sources of revenue. I do agree with the assertion that no other taxes would likely be cut. However, it would appear to be a very good area to generate new taxes.
 
I'm still a little torn on the subject. I can drink but not get drunk. Hard to smoke a little weed and not get high.

Also, how many folks you got locked up for nothing but weed growing/selling that you will morally then need to cut loose? If their only crime was weed possession, growth, or selling I say you gotta let them go if you legalize it.
 
I don't see the point of legalizing marijuana. We really don't need another oppertunity to damage our bodies and our families. How many law suits will be brought up just like the tobacco industry? We need smarter individuals in the country, not dumber ones. I have talked to people that have used marijuana for some time. One said it didn't have an effect on him. That same person could never remember my name. If generating revenue is the main reason to legalize it, we may as well legalize prostitution, maybe cocain. Generating revenue has to be the worst reason to legalize it. It would be a "wrong" used to correct another "wrong" (out of control spending). Crack down on the spending, not create more taxes. The added revenue generated will just get spent like the rest of the tax revenue. What are were going to legalize next when that isn't enough?
 
Originally Posted By: HunterBear71I agree with legalization. We desperately need new sources of revenue. I do agree with the assertion that no other taxes would likely be cut. However, it would appear to be a very good area to generate new taxes.

no, we dont need more revenue, we need less spending on bs pork.
please explain why all the dopeheads and dealers are suddenly going "honest" and pay taxes on their dope, when they can still buy it without paying taxes? the idiot government cant control it now!
 
WHAT! Legalize a illegal substance, what then? Then they will legalize the growers. Then Tommy Chong for president. STUPID IDEA! Grow Up!
 
it wasn't illegal until about 50 or 60 years ago. somehow we survived & really didn't have much problem with it.

just something to think about.

This once was a far freer nation than it is today.
 
I could care less honestly anymore. We had several local 4/20 rally's today. Both of which were 8,000 people strong. I was wondering why those cities weren't passing out tickets as fast as they could! They are always crying about budget shortfalls this would have been a great way to make some revenue.
 
Some valid arguments have been made against legalization. However, one popular academic study estimates that marijuana yearly generates about 113 billion dollars. The government is missing out on about 42 billion in potential revenue. 31.1 billion of that figure is in the form of tax revenue. 10.7 billion is in the form of direct law enforcement costs. Clearly, inhaling hot smoke is not beneficial to an individuals lungs. But, the product does have some documented health benefits.
 
FI might as well legalize HEROIN! Whats the difference? We can tax the junkies's! All kind of revenue we can make from them. WAIT!!! That would be double dipping!
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Originally Posted By: Stu Farishit wasn't illegal until about 50 or 60 years ago. somehow we survived & really didn't have much problem with it.

just something to think about.

This once was a far freer nation than it is today.
Can you say COCAINE OR CRACK, How about OXYCOTIN! They weren't around 50-60 years ago. Just something to think about.Lord knows I don't want to be at the range shooting next to a junkie.
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Actually Ozzy, excepting oxycontin, they were around 50 years ago and they were legal before that.

I have seen studies that show we have a little higher percentage of drug abuse (includes alchohol) when we have prohibition than when we legalize but regulate.

Addiction also becomes less of a societal problem when the substance is legalized. There are a great many "functioning alchoholics" in society today for instance.

The greatest benefit to legalization wouldn't be increased revenue imho, it would be the elimination of organized crime and the attendent violence from the sales and distribution network.

We've already been through this entire scenario once from front to back. We actually passed a Constitutional amendment and then had to repeal it.

The problem is none of us actually remembers prohibition, or the violent crime that was spawned from it, and we don't connect the organized crime we have dealt with ever since to it, though prohibition is the reason organized crime changed from small neighborhood enterprises into huge multinational organizations.
 
Originally Posted By: ozzyOriginally Posted By: Stu Farishit wasn't illegal until about 50 or 60 years ago. somehow we survived & really didn't have much problem with it.

just something to think about.

This once was a far freer nation than it is today.
Can you say COCAINE OR CRACK, How about OXYCONTIN! They weren't around 50-60 years ago. Just something to think about.Lord knows I don't want to be at the range shooting next to a junkie.
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For one thing crack and pot are not even in the same group. Oxycontin is a very addictive prescription drug. More people are a mess because of all those wonder drugs your family doctor hands out. Hemp, as pot was called and still is has many use's as well as a high. Put alcohol and pot besides each other and it's plain witch of the two are the real killers. How many families have been destroyed by booze, killed by drunk drivers?

Pot got its bad name from Harry J. Anslinger, Anslinger was an extremely ambitious man, and he recognized the Bureau of Narcotics as an amazing career opportunity — a new government agency with the opportunity to define both the problem and the solution. He immediately realized that opiates and cocaine wouldn’t be enough to help build his agency, so he latched on to marijuana and started to work on making it illegal at the federal level.

Anslinger immediately drew upon the themes of racism and violence to draw national attention to the problem he wanted to create. He also promoted and frequently read from “Gore Files” — wild reefer-madness-style exploitation tales of ax murderers on marijuana and sex and… Negroes.

Many people assume that marijuana was made illegal through some kind of process involving scientific, medical, and government hearings; that it was to protect the citizens from what was determined to be a dangerous drug.

The actual story shows a much different picture. Those who voted on the legal fate of this plant "never" had the facts, but were dependent on information supplied by those who had a specific agenda to deceive lawmakers. The very first federal vote to prohibit marijuana was based entirely on a documented lie on the floor of the Senate.
Racism
Fear
Protection of Corporate Profits
Yellow Journalism
Ignorant, Incompetent, and/or Corrupt Legislators
Personal Career Advancement and Greed

These are the actual reasons marijuana is illegal.

Pot's medical use has long been documented as much better then the the pills the family doctor hands out on your visit, but the money that changes hands for prescription drugs is unbelievable and the drug makers sure don't want any competition on that.

Read the history of "Hemp" and the reasons it is where it is today. Pot isn't the problem, it's peoples ignorance on the plant and it's use's.
 
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Let's legalize it, and put cocanine back in Coca Cola. It's about as stupid as suing the tabacco industry and saying smoking is bad for your health, Duh, what is weed smoking? Isn't it "smoking". Let's live for today and not worry about tomorrow, the government will take care of me, so I should not worry. The government is my friend, it only does what is good for me.
 
It's silly for it to still be illegal. Much safer than alcohol and way way safer than all the pills doctors are pushing. It's funny how people look down on marijuana while popping xanex for "anxiety" because a doctor said it's ok. More people are addicted to Prescription pills than all street drugs combined. Gateway drug is also a joke, alcohol is the biggest gateway drug there is. That's a fact. I don't smoke, just think it's not a big deal. 10 years ago I laughed at people that said it would be legal someday. Now it's inevitable. Clears up jails, courts and and brings in some money. Sounds good to me.
 
I myself hope they dont legalize it because I may take up smoking if they do! Thats the only thing I will smoke, man I miss that stuff! Been 21+ years since I enjoyed one!
 
If they do legalize it they might as well legalize drunk driving. I wasn't born yesterday. r e a c t i o n t i m e m a y be a little slower. Would have positives and negatives.
 
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Cut the "Prohibition" programs out and you take out the profit for organized crime. Lots of seedy people got rich during the alcohol prohibition, including Joe Kennedy and the mafia, and you could get a drink pretty much anywhere.

Of course it gives the ATF, FBI, local cops and other assorted folks a good excuse to shake down anyone in the country on a whim, so I doubt much will happen.
 
With alcohol, you can drink to actually enjoy the flavor. Nobody smokes weed to enjoy the smoke like a fine cigar; you smoke weed to get intoxicated.
 
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