Marijuana laws- O/T

[Leon]

Originally Posted by cubsfan-budman

i have heard that those figures on how big the industry might get (and the taxes able to be levied from it) are pretty over-inflated. Not sure if that's true or not, but it should be legal and every little bit helps. Very strange that something like that wouldn't be left up to the states anyway.

I have never, and I mean NEVER, spoken with anyone that thinks pot is worse than alcohol, in almost any way. ....As for the revenue, if we count all of the money (41 billion?) it takes to enforce the laws against marijuana, then it seems the economy could benefit quite a bit from legalization. Who knows, but I think it's inevitable it gets legalized everywhere in the US eventually. Here are a few snippets-


Including lost tax revenues, a 2007 study found that enforcing the marijuana prohibition costs tax payers $41.8 billion annually, Forbes reports.

Marijuana growers account for $14 billion a year in sales in California, making it the state's most valuable cash crop, TIME reports.

It's estimated that illegal marijuana is a $36 billion industry in the U.S., MadameNoire reports.

Mendocino County, California's zip tie program aimed at regulating medical marijuana growing by charging permits for each plant raised $600,000 in revenue in for the Sheriff's department in 2011.

The city of Oakland, California raised $1.3 million in tax revenue from medical marijuana dispensaries in 2011, 3 percent of the city's total business tax revenue, according to The New York Times.

[HRBAKER]

All they need is a commensurate increase on the Doritos tax at the same time and tax revenue should skyrocket.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by HRBAKER

All they need is a commensurate increase on the Doritos tax at the same time and tax revenue should skyrocket.

Leave my Doritos alone please.

[HRBAKER]

Originally Posted by Leon

Leave my Doritos alone please.

How appropriate that they now have a product called "Munchies."

[tiger8mush]

just like alcohol "home brew", it should also be legal to grow your own for personal use.

edited to add: The Libertarian party was pushing for the States to be able to make their own laws regarding Marijuana and take control away from the Feds. But most "radical" ideas which take control away from the Federal gov't get no attention from the media or are swept aside.

[barrysloate]

I've long been a proponent of legalizing marijuana and I'm very happy to see some progress being made. It will still be a long time before it becomes legal on a national level but we have to expect that the process will be slow.

It's not an entirely harmless drug, but it's light years safer than alcohol or tobacco. Having teenagers getting really stoned and then getting behind the wheel of a car is certainly among the many dangers, so I think some aspects of marijuana use cannot be allowed. Smoking and driving is a no-no.

It could become a very lucrative business, it would generate tax revenue, and it would put a huge dent in the U.S.- Mexican drug war, which is taking the lives of thousands of people. There are still many who think it's a terrible thing so we have to accept baby steps on the road to legalization. But so far, so good.

[EvilKing00]

if making it leagle can help to decrease the debb, and not wasting the tax money on some "govt programs" it should. These tuff times and the situation the govt is in with debt, all options should be open to generate some revenue.

[rjackson44]

going to a show stoned on pot is a very dangerous thing $$$$$$

[rdwyer]

Medical marijuana should be sold at Police stations. No. Strike that. The cops would steal it.

[esd10]

marijuana should be legal the war on drugs is a joke and the prohibition was started on grounds of racism and bye big business because they felt there was a threat to the paper industry. I believe marijuana should be sold as such goods like alcohol and tobacco making stipulations on it such as you have to be 21 and not driving impared and tax the shit out of it the goverment would make a killing. marijuana is a plant our ancestors have been using for centurys and its only been these last hundred years where they made it wrong to use a plant that grows naturally. let me just say i dont smoke weed but if it was legal i might break out the the 6 footer lol

[Brian Van Horn]

No thanks. I can just see I would end up behind one of the guys or women that would use it and decided to go driving. There are enough of those drivers already on the road in my area. I don't need a law allowing more even if there is "a legal limit" to how much they can have.