Should Marijuanna be legalized?

[Grogybear]

That doesn't have to be taxed or regulated, either. One can always address irresponsible behavior (obviously), but doing so does not require taxation or some elite body of lawmakers. That's my point.

Grandpa h.

Should there be any tax at all then? The existance of sales tax (other than the moral element, which is pretty much just fascism) is to pay for the government. Aside from the archaic moral issues (which will eventually fall; its only a matter of time) government needs to be reduced in size in order to allow for that loss of tax revenue.

Im all for it! The cost of a pint in ireland is almost double of what it is in the UK.

[Dodds]

Im all for it! The cost of a pint in ireland is almost double of what it is in the UK.

That right? We pay about £3 on average for a pint here.

[Sebastinovich]

I'm inclined to agree with the decriminalization at the very least. Aside from that, I am all for taxing the hell out of it. Sell it at the local drugstore, slap a nice tax of 100% or so on it, and voila, revenue. Aside from that, it would probably be safer if it was regulated: the purity (of cocaine, for example) wouldn't change unexpectedly, so OD's would probably reduce, leading to smaller costs in ER's. It won't happen in America any time soon. Guns can't be regulated, and we have a right to alcohol and tobacco, but not other drugs. Am I missing some crucial difference? O.o

[Grogybear]

That right? We pay about £3 on average for a pint here.

I've heard tales of 90p vodka and £2 pints.. Even in college bars its around £4 in ireland. I couldn't drink when I was in america (EVEN THOUGH I WAS 19!! GRR.. thats covered in another thread) so I don't recall the prices there. I suspect they're around £1.50.

Am I missing some crucial difference? O.o

Hypocrisy and humanity make quite comfortable bedfellows...

[notthecheatr]

Absolutely, legalize and tax. The justifications for outlawing marijuana are outdated and just plain wrong. If people can get drunk or intentionally give themselves lung cancer, there's no reason people shouldn't be able to get high without facing legal persecution. Besides, it will be a great money maker.

I suspect it will happen in the next ten years or so, depending on the state (the more conservative states might take a bit longer, waiting for the older generation to die out - perhaps 20-30 years for the entire country to legalize marijuana for recreational use?). California is already on the brink of legalizing, and others will no doubt follow. Medical use is already legal in many, many places and recreational should follow shortly.

Actually, if California legalizes, it wouldn't surprise me if the federal government decides to get involved, so they can get a chunk of the dough

[grandpa]

Should there be any tax at all then?
The existance of sales tax (other than the moral element,
which is pretty much just fascism) is to pay for
the government.

I see no good reason to apply economic initiatives here, especially taxes -- which are legally imposed. A plant is a plant. If someone wants to smoke it, that's their business. It needn't be regulated and taxed.

Grandpa h.

[Philip Lu]

I see no good reason to apply economic initiatives here, especially taxes -- which are legally imposed. A plant is a plant. If someone wants to smoke it, that's their business. It needn't be regulated and taxed.

Grandpa h.

Doesn't need to, but it's good $$$.

[Dodds]

I see no good reason to apply economic initiatives here, especially taxes -- which are legally imposed. A plant is a plant. If someone wants to smoke it, that's their business. It needn't be regulated and taxed.

Grandpa h.

IF you are growing to smoke your own then I agree, but if you are growing to sell then there should be tax and standards on the product. My opinion.

[RickSp]

What I personally find so sadly funny is how the conservatives whine and whine about the "nanny state" and then insist on throwing kids in jail for smoking marijuana. It is insane and barbaric. Not unlike many conservatives, come to think of it.

RECORD MARIJUANA ARRESTS FEED THE PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

In 2007 the Department of Justice reported that there were 1,841,182 drug arrests in the United States; the report noted that there were more drug abuse arrests than any other category of offenses. Marijuana arrests accounted for 47.4% of the drug abuse arrests. This allows us to estimate that about 872,720 persons were arrested for marijuana offenses. Eighty-nine percent of these arrests were for possession.

The number of lives ruined, not to mention the cost to the tax payers of maintaining the prison industrial complex is argument enough why marijuana should be legalized.

[notthecheatr]

I see no good reason to apply economic initiatives here, especially taxes -- which are legally imposed. A plant is a plant. If someone wants to smoke it, that's their business. It needn't be regulated and taxed.

Grandpa h.

IF you are growing to smoke your own then I agree, but if you are growing to sell then there should be tax and standards on the product. My opinion.

I agree with this, and if for no other reason than to provide an incentive for the government to legalize it in the first place.

Part of the rationale behind legalizing marijuana (and perhaps other less-harmful substances) is that it's actually easier to regulate something that's legal than something that's illegal.

[Philip Lu]

I agree with this, and if for no other reason than to provide an incentive for the government to legalize it in the first place.

Part of the rationale behind legalizing marijuana (and perhaps other less-harmful substances) is that it's actually easier to regulate something that's legal than something that's illegal.

Yea, and it'd be much cheaper too, I've heard.

[ruksak]

What I personally find so sadly funny is how the conservatives whine and whine about the "nanny state" and then insist on throwing kids in jail for smoking marijuana. It is insane and barbaric. Not unlike many conservatives, come to think of it.

RECORD MARIJUANA ARRESTS FEED THE PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX



The number of lives ruined, not to mention the cost to the tax payers of maintaining the prison industrial complex is argument enough why marijuana should be legalized.

As they say, the worst side effect from smoking pot is jail time.

The argument that is often the last resort for anti-pot folks would be the age-old mantra "what about the children". The harsh reality for those folks is this: When I was a teenager, I could get pot all day long. I could literally shop the black market for the highest quality and the best price. What I couldn't get? Alcohol. Ironic? Yes.

Makes sense though, alcohol is regulated. If you don't know any nefarious adults that may cop a six-pack for you, then you are limited to snitchin a few from your parents. Which often results in being caught.

If you want to really get pissed, research the Partnership for a Drug Free Americas history. Who were the "Partners" that taught us as teenagers "this is your brain on drugs"? All the major alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceutical companies. Now why the hell would they want to keep pot illegal? Hmmmm.........

Partnership for a Drug-Free America - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

PDFA was the subject of criticism when it was revealed by Cynthia Cotts of the Village Voice that their federal tax returns showed that they had received several million dollars worth of funding from major pharmaceutical, tobacco and alcohol corporations including American Brands (Jim Beam whiskey), Philip Morris (Marlboro and Virginia Slims cigarettes, Miller beer), Anheuser Busch (Budweiser, Michelob, Busch beer), R.J. Reynolds (Camel, Salem, Winston cigarettes), as well as pharmaceutical firms Bristol Meyers-Squibb, Merck & Company and Procter & Gamble. From 1997 it has discontinued any direct fiscal association with tobacco and alcohol suppliers, although it still receives donations from pharmaceutical companies[1].