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Legal Marijuana

clayinaustin

clayinaustin

Charter Member
I have been saying this for years! Why spend billions losing the war on drugs, when the government can make millions by making it legal and taxing it?

Can Marijuana Help Rescue California's Economy?

Pot is, after all, California's biggest cash crop, responsible for $14 billion in annual sales, dwarfing the state's second largest agricultural commodity - milk and cream - which brings in $7.3 billion annually, according to the most recent USDA statistics. The state's tax collectors estimate the bill would bring in about $1.3 billion in much-needed revenue a year, offsetting some of the billions in service cuts and spending reductions outlined in the recently approved state budget.

A few days after he introduced the bill, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that states should be able to make their own rules on medical marijuana and that federal raids on pot dispensaries in California would cease.
 
Why not? It's clearly and thoroughly prolific throughout the US, why not allow it? It's no different than booze or tobacco, in my opinion. Legalize it, let Phillip Morris & RJ Reynolds have at it and tax the crap out of it. The consequences would be threefold. (1)Marijuana-related crime would cease overnight; drug dealers, growers and their networks would be done in an instant. (2) The revenue would be incredible. (3) The at-capacity, ailing incarceration system would be enormously freed up by not having to deal with petty marijuana crimes.
 
Except the dopers never actually have any money :D Can you see some dude standing at the 7-11 counter trying to trade a puka shell ncklace to Abdul for a couple of joints :D
 
CigDaze said:
Why not? It's clearly and thoroughly prolific throughout the US, why not allow it? It's no different than booze or tobacco, in my opinion. Legalize it, let Phillip Morris & RJ Reynolds have at it and tax the crap out of it. The consequences would be threefold. (1)Marijuana-related crime would cease overnight; drug dealers, growers and their networks would be done in an instant. (2) The revenue would be incredible. (3) The at-capacity, ailing incarceration system would be enormously freed up by not having to deal with petty marijuana crimes.
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Wholly agree!!!
I've never been a pot smoker, but won't say I've never inhaled.
Go ahead and legalize it!

But, where are you going to be allowed to smoke it??
Hell, even here in KY, (where they grow alot of tobacco) they are beginning to outlaw smoking in any public place.
I've already looked into AZ, hopeful that smoking bans wouldn't be bad, only to find out they were the first state to outlaw public smoking in '71.
 
I just read in the paper where 800,000 pounds of pot were confiscated along the Arizona border last year.
 
MacGyver said:
I just read in the paper where 800,000 pounds of pot were confiscated along the Arizona border last year.
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Exactly. And that's only a minority percentage of total. Why let all this money leave the country and wind up in the hands of international drug lords and their cartels. Just look at all the problems we're having with the Mexican drug cartels right now, and the the crime beginning to infiltrate Texas. I just read where military action may be necessary soon at the Mexican border to control the crime coming in.
 
CigDaze said:
Why not? It's clearly and thoroughly prolific throughout the US, why not allow it? It's no different than booze or tobacco, in my opinion. Legalize it, let Phillip Morris & RJ Reynolds have at it and tax the crap out of it. The consequences would be threefold. (1)Marijuana-related crime would cease overnight; drug dealers, growers and their networks would be done in an instant. (2) The revenue would be incredible. (3) The at-capacity, ailing incarceration system would be enormously freed up by not having to deal with petty marijuana crimes.
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I think you are right on target.
 
if it's grown here, sold here and taxed here, all this mexican cartel stuff is now out of a job..no dope, no money, no money no power
 
At the risk of pissing off all the Bush lovers and the Obama haters...

This would never happen if Bush was still the persident. Now that Obama is in office, you will see more and more of this happening.

just my two-cents... :cool:
 
phragle said:
if it's grown here, sold here and taxed here, all this mexican cartel stuff is now out of a job..no dope, no money, no money no power
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until the dope heads realize its cheaper to get the unregulated stuff... it would be even harder to stop foreign pot if its legal here.

I say tax the hell out of it (and tobacco) though and lower my taxes.
 
Sean H said:
until the dope heads realize its cheaper to get the unregulated stuff... it would be even harder to stop foreign pot if its legal here.

I say tax the hell out of it (and tobacco) though and lower my taxes.
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With the operations that exist at the mega-tobacco companies, it would never be cheaper to grow it independently. How many people you see growing tobacco and selling their own cigarettes?
 
clayinaustin said:
At the risk of pissing off all the Bush lovers and the Obama haters...

This would never happen if Bush was still the persident. Now that Obama is in office, you will see more and more of this happening.

just my two-cents... :cool:
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That's true, Bush knew what he believed was right and acted on it, then stuck with it right or wrong. O is just twisting in the wind and doesn't have a clue about how to fix anything or help the nation, he just knows more government is better, regardless of the consequences.

His poll numbers are beginning to show that the blush has worn off the rose, he is done as a leader in less than 2 months. What a great legacy.


And the only reason I can see legalizing as a bad idea is it would mean even bigger government and more regulations. And although I have never researched it, I wonder why they are pulling back on legalization in Amsterdam, seems like there must be a reason, anyone know?
 
CigDaze said:
With the operations that exist at the mega-tobacco companies, it would never be cheaper to grow it independently. How many people you see growing tobacco and selling their own cigarettes?
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if and when all 50 states do it, I would agree with you. but if a state does it with the sole intent to make money, I have a feeling it will be anything but inexpensive. Much like when states vote in gambling, it usually comes at a cost (everybody gets a taste; education, highways, etc). I doubt it will be anywhere near the price of tobacco. Without the consequences of being illegal, every pot head and college kid will be growing it. At least it will boost high times subscriptions and head shop patronage. :sifone:

I don't care either way, I say make it all legal and heavily tax it (and tobacco)and dramatically lower income taxes. :seeya:
 
Ted said:
And the only reason I can see legalizing as a bad idea is it would mean even bigger government and more regulations.
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Yeah but it will be a more onerous process mostly for people who are advocating the same kind of onerous regulations on those of us who work.

Let them have a taste of their own medicine :sifone:

I say legalize it too. Look what legalization did for the alcohol crime cartels. :)
 
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