Comments on: Should Marijuana Be Legalized? Do You Think It Will Help Our Out Of Control Economy?

By: Dick F

Dick F — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:21:49 +0000

I’ve never touched the stuff, but I’ve seen billions of tax dollars wasted chasing the producers, incarcerating users, and tying up our courts. If it was decriminalized it would be available in liquor stores at reasonable prices, in controlled qualities – and the government would make huge taxes on it just as they do with liquor. Farmers could make a living growing it, cigarette companies would profit in getting it to market, and they wouldn’t be arresting terminal cancer patients that were just using it to relieve some of the pain. On top of all that it would take the huge profit margins away from the drug cartels that siphon off truck loads of U.S. currency every year, because we could provide it locally much cheaper than the cartels.

By: how to chip a wii

how to chip a wii — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:33:15 +0000

People think Marijuana shouldn’t be legal due to the criminal involvement. It’s not a drug. Tobacco is not a drug. It’s not man made. People have died from selling it. Ripping people off and such. Or whatever the argument was. But what they don’t say. The people who are doing the killings. Are selling other drugs such as coke, heroin and other drugs.
Have you ever met a person who just smokes it and mind their own business. Everyday regular Americans. Teachers, Doctors, and Labors. They do not do it during work hours. They do it at home out of harms way. Some do it at parks, some other outdoors etc. They can post a warning just like Alcohol. Do not use while operating machinery and/or other equipment.
My theory, instead of people going like 80mph on the road cause they are pissed from drinking. They will be going 35mph on weed cause they are paranoid.
Overall. People say it can’t be taxed. Of course it can. They just NEVER tried it.

By: Elliot

Elliot — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:10:11 +0000

What surprises me is that it’s taken so long for people to catch on, and that even now people are only talking about cannabis. If you look at mainstream criminology journals from fifteen or twenty years ago, the debate over drug prohibition was more or less resolved in favour of legalisation, not just for cannabis but across the board. The only serious academic debate now is to do with the specific details of how to make the transition from prohibition, and what level of regulation should be retained.
The idea that it’s illegal because it can’t be taxed is a fallacy. The vast majority of smokers buy it, rather than growing it. It’s very easy to grow the plant normally, but a higher quality is produced using sophisticated and expensive equipment that the average smoker can’t afford and wouldn’t be able to use. Legitimate businesses would be able to produce better cannabis, and sell it for less even after factoring in taxes. A few people might still buy it illegally (probably a similar proportion as currently buys illegal, untaxed tobacco) but I’m quite sure most smokers would be happy to go along with the taxation system.
And even if it couldn’t be taxed, that still wouldn’t be a reason to criminalise it. If the only effect of legalisation is that it stops us from spending hundreds of millions of dollars enforcing drug laws and punishing people for victimless crimes, that would still be a great benefit to society.
And I think the most important thing to note with respect to the legalisation of cannabis is that there is no reason whatsoever to suggest that it would result in more people using the drug. Fewer Dutch citizens use the drug than Americans. Research looking at people who don’t use cannabis invariably finds that the most common reason is a lack of interest, not the drug’s illegality. I don’t smoke, and I wouldn’t start just because it became legal. Pretty well everyone who wants to use cannabis already does.

By: Darth Bama

Darth Bama — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:55:46 +0000

It’s just ignorant to smoke it, honestly.

By: Amier N.

Amier N. — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:30:08 +0000

Marijuana is less harmful than tobacco, so why NOT?

By: subOlimn

subOlimn — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:03:28 +0000

I really don’t care if it is or isn’t. It won’t be because, they can’t figure out how to tax it.

By: Urban Medic

Urban Medic — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:54:10 +0000

It’ll help out our snackfood industry

By: Little Bear

Little Bear — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:31:54 +0000

No Marijuana users should be shot.

By: pdooma

pdooma — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:07:41 +0000

It might help people care less about their financial troubles if they’re mellowed out with pot.

By: Linda J

Linda J — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:54:57 +0000

Who thinks those who sell it illegally now, won’t keep on selling it after it’s legal?
How does Uncle Sam get his grubbies on any tax money then?