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Helping the economy with Marijuana?
Sabiancym
Member UncommonPosts: 3,150
So what if we could instantly create a multi-billion dollar industry instantly? Legalizing marijuana could be the ticket.
9 billion taxpayer dollars a year is spent on prosecuting and incarcerating people breaking marijuana laws. That is on top of however much is spent on government programs to keep it illegal and prosecute those who break the laws. So with the economy in the crapper. Why can't we legalize marijuana, tax it just like tobacco, and turn that $9 billion a year loss into a big profit.
It's been proven many many times that marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol and tobacco. You can't be killed by consuming too much of it (unlike alcohol), and smoking it causes the same lung damage that tobacco does. Driving under the influence would still be illegal, and an age limit would be in place to prevent minors from using it.
So really. Other than the nutballs who think smoking weed makes you a serial killer, what valid arguments against legaling marijuana are there that don't apply to other completely legal substances?
Comments
nine billion dollars
9,000,000,000
federal deficit, 10 trillion
10,657,,651,945,,217.83
And rises approximately 3.36 billion dollars a day according to the US national debt clock on brillig.com.
Legalising Marajuana wouldn't do any noticable good...You know what would? Responsible spending.
Your argument is like a two legged dog with an eating disorder...weak and unbalanced.
You have absolutely no idea of the chemical properties of hemp that is processed for smoking. It is much worse than cigarettes and does contain mind-altering chemicals. Get off the pipe and learn something.
You have absolutely no idea of the chemical properties of hemp that is processed for smoking. It is much worse than cigarettes and does contain mind-altering chemicals. Get off the pipe and learn something.
What the hell are you talking about? Hemp contains what? .3% THC. You would have to smoke a pound of it within an hour to feel anything.
And how is "It contains a mind-altering chemical" a valid argument. Tobacco and alcohol contain mind altering chemicals.
Get off your high horse and learn something.
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Stop trippin OP, that's not going to to help the wound in the economy, not only that you might need to lay off that stuff, even though I know ya want it to be legal so bad. Ha ha ha. Legalizing a drug like that will not heal the wounds right now. In fact it might just raise abuse (and no I'm not saying everybody abuses it, but it does have bad effects on long term users).
-In memory of Laura "Taera" Genender. Passed away on Aug/13/08-
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How is saving 9 billion a year + gaining however many billions in tax revenue + creating jobs in a new industry not going to at least help some?
Long term coffee use is linked to type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. Make it illegal.
The Official God FAQ
IT would probably give a boost to the food industry but it would slow down peoples work ethics and create more injuries/deaths on the job.
Don't be terrorized! You're more likely to die of a car accident, drowning, fire, or murder! More people die every year from prescription drugs than terrorism LOL!
Actually High Times magazine has all ready proven that if California legalized marijuana and taxed it, it would eliminate California's defecit in a year. Imagine what it could do to the economy of hte US. Oh and guess what the largest cash crop in the US is right now...nope not corn, nope not wheat, that's right boys and girls, its marijuana. All that money that could be generated through legal sales of it is not helping us right now....so I say legalize it.
While I don't see how it would fix the economy it would sure be awesome.
Why don't we legalize all crime. That way we could abolish every law enforcement agency in the country. Think of the tax dollars that would save.
But seriously, Briansho was correct that the overall effect on the economy would be a negative, imo. If everyone showed up to work buzzed, productivity would plummet.
I'm not speaking of THC. Let me rephrase - you know not of the chemical additives in marijuna. I'm not speaking of natural chemicals found within the plant.
I'm not speaking of THC. Let me rephrase - you know not of the chemical additives in marijuna. I'm not speaking of natural chemicals found within the plant.
Oh, you mean the stuff that sellers lace it with...because it's sold on the black market...and there's no way to regulate it. I see.
OMG please. Alcohol is legal and you don't see everyone showing up drunk. ::rolls her eyes:: Seriously Zin...your statement took things to the extreme and made little to no impact on your arguement as to why legalizing marijuana would be bad - in fact it did the opposite.
The short answer is it would give local and state governments monies from taxing the product, like they do with alcohol and other legal drugs.
Right now, the states get no money off people who smoke marijuana illegally. If it were legal, you'd have to figure it would be the most heavily taxed vice. More than they tax porn, alcohol, smoking, etc. because they wouldn't actually want people smoking it. So they levy a tax of probably like 20% on marijuana, maybe higher.
That's how it would help the economy. You get something you're not getting now.
598,000 people lost jobs in January alone this year. Im sure a lot of those would smoke a joint right now if you passed it around the fire.
"TO MICHAEL!"
You mean like now, with alcohol and other legal drugs like Codeine or Valium?
"TO MICHAEL!"
Geez, why don't you guys jump all over Briansho, he's the one who included the part about an increase in work related accidents? I just mentioned productivity.
I have never taken an illicit drug in my life and I never will. I can't even stand taking legal medication. But that's just me. I'm kind of a health nut almost to the point of being freakish.
But if I see somebody smoking a toke, I don't jump all over them or report them to the police or anything. I let them live their life. My parents were both health teachers and to this day, my mother still gets in a smoker's face and tells them they shouldn't be smoking. And having seen her do that, I used to do it myself. Then when I got old enough, I realized that it was silly to preach to people about their health habits. In a free society, people have a right to practice unhealthy habits.
So if they ever decriminalize marijuana, who am I to stop them. But personally I don't think it's a good idea. I think it is simply another step in an ever permissive culture where such actions will slowly but surely lead to the gradual decline of society. But that's just me.
Wow...do you remember the cultural revolution of the 60's and 70's Zen? People were saying the same thing and our parents all turned out OK.
No and no.
Let's take a some what feasible idea that has worked in other countries and could work here as well and blow it totally out of proportion. Well done, Zin!
As for it fixing the economy...unlikely but at least we won't so stressed about it.
If you are really worried about getting rid of crimes and making the streets safer as an argument, here ya go:
There are hundreds of alcohol overdose deaths each year, yet there has never been a marijuana overdose death in history. The consumption of alcohol is also the direct cause of tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S. each year.
In 2001, there were 331 alcohol overdose deaths and 0 marijuana overdose deaths. Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5337a2.htm
Excessive alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States (1) and is associated with multiple adverse health consequences, including liver cirrhosis, various cancers, unintentional injuries, and violence.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported 20,687 alcohol-induced deaths (excluding accidents and homicides) in 2003. Source: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/alcohol.htm
The CDC has no reports of marijuana-induced deaths. (In reality, there may be 2-5 deaths each year attributed to marijuana, but this article -- http://bbsnews.net/bw2005-02-01.html -- describes how these are actually deaths attributable to other causes but blamed on marijuana due to the way the data is collected.)
Sounds like they need to get rid of alcohol, and legalize marijuana ased on statistics. Marijuana is much safer for citizens.
"TO MICHAEL!"
Maybe because Briansho didn't take the argument out to left field by suggesting if we make marijuana legal that we should make all crimes legal? Just a guess...
Agreed. I proposed this myself here on these forums months ago. On this one, we can agree, Sabian
fishermage.blogspot.com
Self ownership is the foundation of property rights, which is the foundation of all human law. marijuana laws are in direct violation of that. If you do not have the power to decide what goes into your body, then the government is the defacto owner of that body.
Therefore it is the marijuana laws that are a violation of the very principle of Law. This is why it has failed just as badly as prohibition.
fishermage.blogspot.com
Self ownership is the foundation of property rights, which is the foundation of all human law. marijuana laws are in direct violation of that. If you do not have the power to decide what goes into your body, then the government is the defacto owner of that body.
Therefore it is the marijuana laws that are a violation of the very principle of Law. This is why it has failed just as badly as prohibition.
Sounds like you are in favor of suicide as well. If one chooses to ingest poison, why not?
Yes, but their kids are all fucked up.