The Only Way to FIX Our Economic Problems...Legalize Marijuana

[Bullet1987]

It may not be an issue taken very seriously right now. But it would provide a surefire boost to our economy and may even act as a buffer for worse economic collapses during Obama's Presidency. Millions of Americans smoke pot on a daily basis. There's a multi-billion dollar underworld that profits from this every year. I find it ass backwards that our government, even in the middle of an economic collapse still can't see the benefits of legalization.

People will say it'll be political suicide for Obama, but I beg to differ. Once people start seeing the numbers...the money being brought in and our economy is turned around.

[drm604]

1. I have to say that I'm skeptical that this could by itself turn things around.

Do you have any cites on this?

[struggle4progress]

52. "Dope will get you thru times of no money better than money will get you thru times of no dope"

according to Freewheelin Franklin, a well-respected newspaper pundit thirty-five years ago

[WillyT]

54. Aw... Ya Made Me Go All Misty...

:hi:

[Ganja Ninja]

95. Lord knows were headed for times with no money. n/t

[jakem]

97. now, what was the solution to no dope AND no money?

:(

[slay]

108. Legalize, grow, sell.

:smoke:

[baldguy]

2. That wouldn't FIX any problems.

But people wouldn't care about them anymore.

[Bullet1987]

5. What?

[nebenaube]

17. hurmmmp!

I see you have never been to the Netherlands... Their economy booms. The general population there does not fear the police. They have a society where one does not have to fear who their acquaintance might be or that they might 'smoke pot'. No one has to piss clean or break a law to earn income. As a country, the Dutch are not breeding a criminal class for the sake of employing authoritarians and to impose such artificial 'morality'. There is no discussion of addiction or harm associated with it's use. In the Netherlands, pot smokers don't tolerate 'hard' drug users. Hell, even Prozac is considered a 'hard' and dangerous drug in the Netherlands. No, the only reason to create this black market is to exploit it. No, indeed the 'War on Pot' only breeds corruption.

[meow mix]

59. mass imprisonment of americans with illegal laws, is not a problem?

wth... 800,000 arrests last year, many in states treating it as a serious felony and destroying these peoples lives.

to me its the worst oppression taking place in america. worse than anti-gay sentiment.

[EstimatedProphet]

3. It's been pretty beneficial to the Netherlands

In addition to the tax revenue, tourism would certainly go up, along with a lot of tourist dollars.

[quakerboy]

72. Because that is the only

or even the largest difference between the US and the Netherlands?

[reggie the dog]

85. you are correct, the Netherlands have lots of differences with the USA

Gay marriage and adoption is legal in the Netherlands
Prostitution is legal.
All drugs are depenalized and cannabis sales are tolerated along with mushroom sales.
Heroin is given out for free to addicts at government sponsored shooting sites. They also pass out needles as well for free.
Dutch people have national health coverage.
Dutch people get at least 4 weeks paid holiday per year.

[wroberts189]

96. thank you ..and they have lower crime as well.

[EstimatedProphet]

91. Of course not

I'm simply pointing out that in addition to tax revenue, there might also be an increase in tourism. Don't try to shove things I'm not saying into my posts, buddy. How do you even get that out of what I wrote?

[quakerboy]

127. While I think that we should decriminalize

I also think it is a side issue. A medium/small side issue. I find the Op's introduction of it as the "only" solution a bit overblown.

Somehow, I don't think it would be that big, tourism wise. Canada is right across the border, and there is no lack of good weed there. And if you are in Europe, there are closer places. Honestly, the tax income would be nice. I could be wrong, but I strongly suspect that the savings in the law enforcement/penal system would be potentially just as important.

I apologize for coming across as jumping on you, I had about 4 thoughts concurrently, and posted quickly.

[glowing]

4. It would also save a lot of money on the "police/ justice" side of the issue.

I would recommend growing hemp again, as well. Its a great resource for so many items.. and it doesn't destroy the environment as does some of the items that hemp would replace.

[blondeatlast]

9. I never tried it, never will, but I want to see it legalized.

The money spent on administration of justice of it is money completely wasted, IMHO.

It will provide jobs, save family farms, be a source of tax revenue. I'm all for it.

I still don't like the way it smells, though, which explains why I never tried it! :rofl:

[uncle ray]

103. pot smoke is kind of like farts.

when the odor comes from you, it can smell good, from someone else, it can reek something awful.

and unsmoked, either growing or harvested, is one of the most wonderful smells ever. of course i'm talkin about the good stuff, not cheap compressed commercial weed.

[Obamanaut]

114. "They say" it's not all that bad. nt

[fizzgig]

14. great idea about hemp

:thumbsup:

[glowing]

22. Hemp could help lead us out of a job slump..

Its very easy for farmers to grow. It can replace cotton for clothing, which could put some textile workers back to work making clothing. Paper products, rope, cloth, oils (a great biofuel), paint.. It has endless possibilities and would help bring about a nice positive growth in the economy.

[intheflow]

26. I was going to bring up both of your points.

The cost savings in law enforcement, incarceration rates, and government lawyers prosecuting offenders would be significant. And the hemp thing in just a no-brainer. It really could be an industry that could be part of Obama's green energy job creation program--no plant is so versatile and useful as hemp.

Edited b/c I always forget that spell check is my friend!

[glowing]

32. Hemp is non-smoking weed.. Marijuana is the one that gets you high,

yet both are banned, stupidly, I might add.

[reggie the dog]

38. you can actually make hemp products from smokeable quality

cannabis. they just bred certain seeds to have no THC to get around marijuana laws in countries like France. You can take good smokable quality weed and plant the plants closer to each other for industrial use, leaving males to turn lots of bud to seeds because the seeds make better flour than wheat, and then use what is left of the buds to make hash. Now take the fiber from the stalks and make textiles and the cellulose can be used to make paper or ethanol. In other words you can eat, make your clothing, make paper, and make hash from the same plant, not just the same species, but the same one plant.

[uncle ray]

104. delete.

[Solomon]

93. Unfortunately, the problem with legalizing marihuana is it would

reek havoc with the driving while intoxicated laws. Everybody will be taking pisses instead of breathalyzers and then how do you decide what is "intoxication". That stuff can stay in your system even though you're not high for at least a week.

[reggie the dog]

112. Here in France they do a saliva test

which detects use in the past 4 to 8 hours.

[High Plains]

129. How about testing for actual impairment, instead of metabolites?

You know the drill: Close your eyes and touch your finger to your nose, walk one foot after the other, count backwards, etc.

There are many veteran pot smoking who do not seem to have their driving ability impaired in the least, even when high.

[Terran]

102. I saw hemp oil salad dressing in my local market...

I was kinda like, "WTF?" I'm not sure how such a thing is currently possible.

[Mother Of Four]

106. Don't forget nutrition-

http://www.ratical.org/renewables/hempseed1.html

Maybe theres a reason people here feel like crap all the time?

Read it, its worth it.

[reggie the dog]

113. flour made from hemp is rare

but it makes wicked green pancakes that taste great and are very healty.

[bitchkitty]

6. The times they are a changin'....

but I don't have faith that it will happen in my lifetime - too much money to be made on prohibition, money made by both sides.

It might be rescheduled though...lots of states either have or will consider medical marijuana initiatives. With rescheduling would come research. I personally would rather it be illegal than have Big Pharma in control.

[asdjrocky]

7. I'm in favor big time of decriminalizing growing a certain number of plants.

I don't like the idea of legalizing it though. I'm 420 friendly and I'd hate to see the government involved in the growing or taxing one of the last pure things on the planet.

The sales tax dollars alone, from people being able to freely grow a certain number of plants would help a lot. If you don't believe that take a drive through Humblot, Mendocino or Trinity county in norther Ca and count all the new cars. Also, the federal funds saved if they weren't chasing down a few happy pot farmers would be enormous.

[tridim]

8. Grow hemp and recreational/medicinal Cannabis and we'd be set

The drug warriors will never admit that they're two different things because conflation is their PR plan. Hemp would create a massive, new industry and consumable Cannabis would create massive revenues. It's really a no-brainer, it worked during WWII.

[acmavm]

10. Who the hell has any money for pot?

[reggie the dog]

40. I do

but I cannot find anywhere to buy any. People here just keep giving me a quarter or a half ounce for free out of their harvests. I did buy some hash recently though....

[TexasObserver]

57. Your comments call into question your bona fides.

1 you have a weed avatar, and ...

2 you're talking like you're Mr. Smoke, but ...

3 you claim "people here just keep giving me a quarter or a half ounce for free out of their harvests," but you "cannot find anywhere to buy any." (Really? You know personally growers, who provide you with free weed, but you don't know where to buy any? Do you know how stupid that sounds?!)

4 you claim that you have tons of seeds and plan to plant them

5 you claim to be quite the expert on the whole "hemp" aspect of the topic


You know what you sound like? You sound like a guy who lacks credibility, for reasons that are undisclosed but inferrable. I don't know what your game is, but you reek of insincerity.

[ecstatic]

62. lol! nt

[reggie the dog]

69. the growers I know do not sell to anyone

they smoke and give some away to friends, like I said I can find hash to buy, not grass. I have an ounce of grass but it was all free. Sorry if my buddies are not capitalists. I do plant seeds every year, in the woods, they get stolen, die from drought, get eaten by deer.

[reggie the dog]

86. ok now that I slept the night here you go

1. weed avatar has been mine for years;
2. I am Mr. Smoke. The only reason I am not smoking some hash right now is that I will be taking the car with my daughter in about 20 minutes.
3. People give me weed because I know people who are not greedy. They grow to smoke not deal but when they realize that they harvested a pound or a half pound they are friendly to those of us who lost our crop to wild boars, deer, or thieves. If my woods crop comes in next year I will give some away too. I harvested about 30 grams from a tiny plant that was not stolen this year and gave a quarter of it to a buddy for free too. As I said in my post I can find HASH to buy, not grass.

4. I have lots of seeds and plant a few each year (10 or so) but will not plant the hundreds or thousands I have until it is legal to do so. (Not too far fetched considering you can grow as much as you like in Spain and I live in a bordering country.

5. I have read numerous books about hemp and have Jack Herer's the Emperor Wears no Clothes on my book shelf. I also have hemp gym shoes, boots, backpacks, hats, shirts, sweatshirts, jeans and shorts.

I don't know what you are hinting at but I know I am not full of shit.

[fizzgig]

11. it would certainly boost the profits of little debbie and frito lay

not to mention taco bell and 7-11. but how am i supposed to figure out what i normally get? i doubt they're going to have 'hippie chick in the cruddy apartment' brand pot :P

looking at this seriously, i think it would take some time for anything like that to ever get up and running...licensing, regulation, safety, etc. i think it should be legalized because it has no business being illegal, let alone a schedule I narcotic. i think it would have some benefit to the economy, but i don't know that it should be legalized for that reason alone.

[Sebastian Doyle]

12. Legalize hemp in all of its forms

You'll never get it to pass just by the recreational use alone, despite the fact that its far less harmful than drugs that are already legal. But throw in all the uses of industrial hemp, and even the most anti-pot Repukes might get on board. Hemp would be a much better source material for biofuels than corn, for example. And an acre of hemp would produce far more pulp and paper (and regrow much faster) than the same acre with timber.

Then there's the medicinal value of marijuana. The pharamceutical corporate jackasses will fight it, since they hate anything they can't patent. But medicinal marijuana bills have passed in several states, so it's a much stronger case than it used to be.

Beyond the benefits of the plant itself is the financial side of it. Rather than wasting billions of dollars persecuting and prosecuting stoners and small time pot dealers, law enforcement could instead spend that money catching actual criminals, while the government made money from taxing legal weed.

[cbc5g]

13. Folks might not know it but there are millions in the U.S. that smoke daily

It'd definitely improve the economy and I'd much rather buy from quality ensured places than from black market dealers. Actually I'd rather grow my own but I can't do that right now.

[reggie the dog]

41. no way man

I thought there were like only ten or twenty of us smokers left on account of the war on drugs....

[kestrel91316]

15. Two parts to this plan:

1) Legalize pot, regulate and tax it similarly to alcohol. Make it legal fun for responsible adults.

2) Legalize HEMP. It's a great fiber crop, makes fabulous paper and clothing and rope and heaven knows what else, and does so without the need for massive amounts of fertilizer and herbicides/pesticides.

[Warren DeMontague]

16. We spend $40 Billion/yr on the "drug war", most of it aimed at pot.

I agree. Legalize, tax and regulate it. Absolutely. Well past time.

[TexasObserver]

18. It would 1 decrease trade imbalance 2 increase GDP 3 decrease need for new prisons 4 decrease police

Nah, makes too much sense.

[reggie the dog]

42. trade imbalance is wrong

the USA grows an estimated 75 percent of the weed it consumes, making the USA the single largest producer of cannabis in the world.

[TexasObserver]

56. You'd better leave the economic aspects to those who understand it.

You'd better leave the economic aspects to those who understand it, Bob Marley. If we need to know how to make rope or clothes out of it, you'll be the expert.

If it's legal, production would increase massively, and would displace much if not most of that which is imported. The less money the US citizens send abroad, the more stays at home, the more domestic purchases are made instead of sending money over the border. That enhances the US' balance of trades account. (Do you understand any of that, Jeff Spicoli? Does Mr. Hand need to catch you at home to tutor those points?)

It's elementary, by dear Tommy Chong.

[reggie the dog]

71. the USA produces 75% of what it consumes

We only import a quarter of the weed consumed in the USA. 25 years ago this was not at all the case, now the USA is the world leader in production.

[reggie the dog]

76. US dominates production of cannabis already

"Les Etats-Unis dominent la production de cannabis

* 22.10.2007


La lutte antidrogue coûte 10 milliards de dollars par an. En vain.

Champions de la lutte antidrogue, les Etats-Unis sont en passe de devenir le principal producteur de cannabis de la planète. Selon une étude basée sur les chiffres du département d’Etat, la production de chanvre aux Etats-Unis a été multipliée par dix depuis 1981, à 10 000 tonnes de marijuana par an."

I know it is in French but you should be able to understand that "principal producteur de cannabis de la planète" means the USA produces more than any other country on earth. We mostly smoke US grown in the USA.

source http://premiereligne.ch/blog/2007/10/22/les-etats-unis-dominent-la-production-de-cannabis/

it is a Swiss website.

[Lumpsum]

87. What's your deal?

Let's turn down the smugness a few notches, shall we?

[TexasObserver]

132. this

you've yet to write anything I felt worthy of reading, so I'm putting you on ignore

[reggie the dog]

116. I just re read your post

and I do not like the way you stereotype me. I have an MA in the teaching of history and a BA in history and sociology. I think I understand what imbalance in trade is, the USA has a huge problem with China in this respect. I can think and here is one for you. The USA already produces the vast majority of the cannabis it consumes. The trade imbalance problem was solved by the response to 9-11. The border became tougher so lots of Mexican mafias set up production inside the USA. At the same time many Americans were hit by the sub prime crisis and started growing home grown inside to save their houses. If you legalized today you may be able to get rid of the last 10 or 20% of the market which is imported weed, but then again perhaps people like imported, like with beer or whiskey. Also the majority of imported weed is shitty quality brick which is worth four to six times less what good indoor American grown is. Perhaps even ten times. You can get an ounce of brick for 40 to 60 dollars, an ounce of kind is 400 to 600.

What is your goal here? You talk shit to me about me getting free grass from friends. You assume growers all grow to sell when most growers grow to smoke for free. You talk shit like you think the USA imports most of the weed it smokes when in reality the USA is the largest grower of cannabis in the world. Hell California alone outproduces Western Europe. You seem to think that people cannot smoke and be smart and reason through things. Did weed make you stupid? When you smoke do you have problems thinking about complex issues? If so you are part of a minority of smokers.

[High Plains]

65. I scoff at your assertion!

I bet Mexico still outproduces the US.

[reggie the dog]

70. home grown

"According to US Government estimates domestic marijuana production has increased ten fold over the last 25 years from 1,000 metric tons (2.2 million pounds) in 1981 to 10,000 metric tons (22 million pounds) in 2006. The ongoing proliferation of marijuana cultivation places it beyond the scope of law enforcement capabilities to control and reduce the availability of marijuana to teenagers and young children under existing public policy." source drugscience.org


"Who produces: According to the World Drug Report, cannabis is cultivated in 172 countries around the world, mostly for local or regional export. For the North American market — nearly 31 million users — the U.S. and Mexico are the biggest producers, followed by Canada, a distant third. North America is the largest source of marijuana production, fully a third of world production, according to Interpol."

source http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/drugs/users.html

seems to me that the USA is ahead of Mexico.

since 9 11 lost more is produced in the USA.

[High Plains]

66. I scoff at your assertion!

I bet Mexico still outproduces the US.

[reggie the dog]

77. the US is the biggest producer in the world

look at this website from Switzerland

http://premiereligne.ch/blog/2007/10/22/les-etats-unis-dominent-la-production-de-cannabis/

I know it is in French buy you should be able to understand the title. It also explains that the USA is self sufficiant which suggests that we are growing even more than 75% of our own. In the past 5 years I have only bought US grown while in the USA and for the past 3 years I would not even know where to get imported brick. All my mates back in Chicago have home grown connections.

[High Plains]

110. Wow, that's a surprise. Go USA, we're number 1!!!!!!!!

It's nice to say that about something other than military budgets, imperial wars, and prison populations.

[reggie the dog]

111. this was big news in Europe

the fact that the USA, the leader of the drug war in the world is also the top producer of ganga.

[Born_A_Truman]

19. Bill Maher is that you?

:rofl:

[Ganja Ninja]

20. It may not fix it but it sure as hell won't hurt it.

[JFN1]

21. Pot would quickly become a huge and profitable US export, too

We do grow the best pot in the world, after all...well, except maybe for Canada, but still...!

[ellisonz]

24. Turn Hawaii Green

[reggie the dog]

43. No way dude

Southern France, Italy, and Spain grow wicked weed. We have a climate similar to southern California after all. Plus do not forget Colombia, or tropical islands. Durban Poisin from South Africa, or Zamal from Réunion Island. All wicked weed. Don't forget that patch I had in the woods either.......here in France.

[JFN1]

49. Well, maybe

The science of cultivating pot in the US has come a long way. Hydroponics, strict breeding, and cloning have produced some truly magnificent strains. So let me amend by saying we'd have a great product to export.

Maybe one day pot will be a product like wine (a comparison I've heard before), and will be traded as such. That would be very cool. What country do you suppose would produce the Dom Perignon of weed?

[reggie the dog]

51. The Republic of California?

jokes aside the USA and Canada produce MORE great weed than France or Spain, but I am all for a friendly competition to see who can grow the best tasting weed in categories like, spicy, fruity, piney, etc. and who can grow the all out strongest. prizes for best outdoor and best indoor, best sativa, best indica, best hybrid. My favorite sativa is Zamal, grown on Reunion island for the past 250 years. It has seeds but tastes like mangos mixed with lime, smells like fruit, and makes the waves seem to roll in really cool like while giving a great energetic high. I grew a plant in mainland France and had my dad smoke it. He said it reminded him of Maui Wowwie.

[reggie the dog]

83. one real problem with that

other countries prohibit weed too, so unless they legalized we could not LEGALLY export.

[dkofos]

23. It would sure help. And people would feel great.

[KansasVoter]

25. And give the GOP a huge issue to slam Obama on in 2012! Dumb idea!

[bitchkitty]

30. I get the feeling that Obama is not going to govern

based on how the GOP feels and what they might or might not say. I hope so, anyway.

[Warren DeMontague]

31. Oh, bull. Let them try to justify $40 Billion a year waging "war" on a relatively benign plant

particularly when weighed against the mountain of tax revenue that would come from making it a legal, regulated product for adults.

Jesus, even Sarah Palin, patron saint of the Creationist, Whackjob, outlaw birth control wing of the Republican Party, smoked the stuff at one point.

There is a solid small-l libertarian streak across the ENTIRE electorate, and that elephant you heard deflating last week was in no part due to the libertarian wing of the GOP departing in droves.

The American People want government OUT of their bedrooms and bloodstreams. Period.

[reggie the dog]

44. GOP slam Obama????

More Republicans smoke grass than Democrats. Something like 51 percent of reefer smokers self identify as Republican.

[ecstatic]

63. Not to mention, countless stereotypes fulfilled nt

[reggie the dog]

84. what sterotypes?

Obama smoked, Clinton smoked, Bush smoked, Palin smoked, hell McCain probably smoked in nam too.

[MrsBrady]

27. well, everyone would at least be reeeeealllllyyyy mellow, man. n/t

[Z_I_Peevey]

28. I have always told my children that I didn't believe pot

would be legalized in my lifetime. But them again, I never thought we'd have an African-American President in my lifetime either.

Here's to even more shocking common sense in the future!

[Zynx]

29. No. The magnitude is not there.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[CrownPrinceBandar]

34. Grovelbot smokes the chronic!

[nomorewhopper]

35. look dude i'm 100% in support of legalization (and taxation) but...

...claiming that this is the "only way to fix our economic problems" is an absolutely ridiculous statement.

hyperbole rarely serves to strengthen an argument.

legalization could solve many large problems. the severity of this current economic crisis however, is not one of those things.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

36. Why not just criminalize trafficking.............

I say treat it like homebrew. Allow folks to produce and possess a certain amount, but strictly forbid and levy steep penalties for sale. That way you let the responsible folks have their weed and you eliminate the black market of dealers who may not discriminate to whom they sell.

Also, let the states legalize and control dispersal of medical grass. That way the gubbament gets their cut. For the drug companies....... nothing!

[reggie the dog]

46. problems

no taxes collected, city folks will still buy in the black market because they have no where to grow, also many people would prefer buying a little bit because growing is a pain in the ass, you get mold, theives, animals eat your stuff, not everyone can grow inside after all. and hemp will still be illegal for farmers to grow.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

53. You're right............

In the real world the whole problem with pot is the money, plain and simple.

However, I was just addressing the harm-reduction aspect. Keep the drug dealers out of the loop.

As far as it being a pain in the ass to grow, one has to ask themselves: "How bad do I want grass? Do I want to teach myself to grow good stuff?" City folks/apartment dwellers can grow by using Phototrons and learn from books and the internet. That said, its not a perfect situation and does not address all problems.

Also, I thought legal hemp was understood.

[reggie the dog]

82. ah ok

legal hemp decrim small grows, got you. Just still the problem with city folks with small condos etc.

[voteearlyvoteoften]

37. Light it

Good luck with that...we are decades away from legalization. However decriminalization is for real...coming soon to a blue state near you.

[reggie the dog]

47. fuck decrim

I want to start my own business growing and selling. I have saved up hundreds if not thousands of seeds over the years. All I need is a change in the law and the cow pastures my family rents out to farmers will come back to me and my cannabis company.


PS next spring I hear tell of some folks going out and planting grass here and there, letting it go to seed, and starting wild cannabis patches which will be harder than hell to kill off....coming soon to an abandoned farm near you......

[IsItJustMe]

39. Use the hemp to make cloths, building materials, paints, oils, etc....

[budkin]

45. Roll it up light it up smoke it up inhale exhale!

Word.

[TheKentuckian]

48. We can't afford vice efforts anymore anyway

Between cutting out the expenses and the tax revenue we actually could afford healthcare and the 15 billion a year Obama wants to invest in new energy. Perhaps more.

This would take a lot of pressure off the municipal and state budgets also, which would help grease the wheels. We can drastically reduce jail/prison occupancy and refocus law enforcement resources to keeping the streets safe. This would also seriously reduce the power and violence levels of street gangs.

I'm not just talking marijuana here but all of it including prostitution and gambling. Its a waste of resources when we have real problems to address and vice could be an excellent way to produce some tax revenue without taking food off of the worker's tables. This should go hand in hand with killing tax credits for things like drug testing for private corporations, if they want to test then they can do it without the welfare.

So, legalization may not be a magic bullet but it would have the potential to have a serious impact on our economy from both spending and revenue perspectives. People need to start leaning HARD on their friends, neighbors, and representatives to get on board with the cheapest and easiest revenue solution we possibly can come up with.

I'd bet 100 billion + a year in revenue and savings, EASY. That's change we can believe in and not just what can be found in the couch cushions.

[martymar64]

50. Overgrow the government!

Every seed you get out of a bag should go in the ground.
Become Johnny Ganjaseed!

[reggie the dog]

80. Oh yeah!

They just clear cut a pine forest near where I go on vacation. I have about 70 seeds stashed at the vacation house. You can imagine where the majority are going next year even though I will not be around to harvest it.

[martymar64]

123. Right on

Let it grow and pollinate and seed and then it'll be there next year and the year after that!

[cliffordu]

55. HUH??

:rofl:

[meow mix]

61. not a laughing matter..

people lives are destroyed or ended over this illegal prohibition.

[cliffordu]

64. I have 21 years clean and sober. I know exactly what drug laws do to people.

My response was a take off on being stoned.

[old mark]

58. Legalize pot - and force RW's to smoke it - a lot!!!

Would be a whole new world.

mark

[ecstatic]

60. Would it increase unemployment though...

a lot of weed smokers are too lazy/ drugged up to work. lol

[PeaceNikki]

67. Stupid myth

[reggie the dog]

79. bullshit

there are certainly lazy people who smoke grass but I happen to work and smoke. Hell manual labor jobs are easier when stoned.

[ShadowLiberal]

68. It would save the government money I agree, but it wouldn't help the economy much

This isn't the way to save the economy, it's merely a way to raise extra tax revenue, by legalizing it and then taxing it.

On medical majiuana at the very least though I strongly agree the government should move to legalize it, a big majority of the nation supports it. The only ones who oppose it are hardcore neocons.

I would worry about the political implications of this move however. I mean you can bet the GOP would say something like "leave it to a president who admits he did illegal drugs to legalize those illegal drugs", and the crazies on the Internet would start rumors about Obama secretly helping out his 'drug buddies'. The fact is while medical marijuana is widely supported, I don't think legalizing all marijuana is, but I'm not 100% sure of that.

[AtomicKitten]

73. I vote yes on this.

[Agent William]

74. I for one support your stance...

If I were Barack I would be the leading the fight for legalization since there exists a potential for that to be used a wedge issue in years to come. I hate having to break the law to enjoy something perfectly natural and harmless. I personally believe that dope should only be used for medical and entertainment purposes.

Some may say that marijuana is a gateway drug... well it is... its a gateway to junk food and hours of fun.

:hi:

[anigbrowl]

75. No, although I do favor legalization. But look at the numbers

Say 5% of Americans smoke pot regularly, and go through an average of an 8th a week (that's 3.5 grams, or a standard $50 baggie of good weed). So...

5% of 300 million = 15 million

x $50 a bag = $750 million a week spent on weed across the US
x 52 weeks a year = $39 billion a year.

Fat money, right? If we legalize it the price will go down but we'll tax the difference, call it 20%. So states or the federal government pulls in about $8 billion a year in weed taxes.

That's a nice chunk of change, but it's not really all that much in the scheme of things. Let's be optimistic and double the number of tokers, and say we save ourselves another $25 billion in savings from not chasing and jailing stoners and the dealers who love them - well, now we're up to about $41 billion.

Fuck it, let's be really optimistic and say it puts $50 billion a year into the treasury because USA weed is #1 or something. Which is quite respectable, but still only 1% of the federal budget, some of which might be offset by, uh, lost productivity.

I'm for it, it would help, but only in a marginal way.

[Ganja Ninja]

90. You could put a huge tax on pot.

How much does it actually cost to produce a pack of cigarettes? Maybe 50 cents? I would spend $25.00 a pack if it's decent weed and likely buy 2 to 3 packs a month. And even if the government makes only $50 billion a year you have to consider the income it would produce in farming, distribution and sales. All of that generates revenue too. And think of the money they would save on law enforcement and incarceration, not to mention the lost productivity of the people they throw in jail that might otherwise be leading productive lives. It's not enough to save the economy but it's still a multi-billion dollar a year industry that would provide jobs where none exist now.

[reggie the dog]

118. money wll be saved

on the enforcement and jailing side of the issue.

[OneBlueSky]

78. certainly not a "fix all," but it could be part of a larger package . . .

to develop the use of renewable fuels and promote energy conservation . . . the uses of marijuana are many and varied, and legalizing it and developing industries around it could keep a lot of small farmers in business . . .

[quaker bill]

81. Personal sentiments aside

our economic problems are truly very much larger than this.

[TheKentuckian]

121. Its just a piece of a larger puzzle to be sure but I think EVERYONE would admit

it would create more revenue and cut more spending than the earmark cuts McCain was basing a big chunk of his economic policy on.

Like I said, not a magic bullet but enough revenue/savings to make a measurable difference that can be used to fund needed projects and take some strain off local and state budgets in a tough economy.

[1corona4u]

88. Oh, go smoke another bowl....

if they legalized pot, nothing would ever get done in this country, LOL.....people would just sit on the couch, smoking, eating, and watchig the comedy channel. :rofl:

[reggie the dog]

119. too much indica going around if that is the case

sativa makes you want to get up and do something.

[AngryAmish]

89. It should be legalized, if anything just to shut the potheads up

Seriously, it is hard listening to them.

To think that it will save the economy - that is just silly. Did legalizing alcohol save the economy before the Depression?

Data, my friend. You need to show data, not assertions.

[wroberts189]

94. I hate the term potheads. It derogatory. Some use it cause they are very sick

Its hard listening to the "lets just keep spending billions on a failed drug war" crowd.


How about giving it a chance and then see what happens...?


Then you will have all the data you want.

[AngryAmish]

124. I am agreeing with the potheads

It should be legal on personal liberty grounds. But when one claims certain economic benefits then one has the obligation to bring forth data to support the argument. Short of that it is just potheads bitching and moaning. Which is hard to take.

[High Plains]

130. I will happily shut up when pot is legalized. Until then, not so much.

[sfam]

92. Lets see...we just gave up 700 B, and your talking about a few million????

Um, yeah, that'll help. Not as much as the stopping pork spending which accounts for all of 1% of the budget, but sure, Obama should invest most of his political capital to legalize pot so we as a country can save a few million here. Meanwhile we'll be spending another 100 Billion with a "B" on AIG, many more billions with a "B" on Fannie and Freddy, and so on.

Gee, in thinking about it, how 'bout Obama work on loosening the credit markets and stopping the housing price slide instead?

[gravity]

98. Yes, let's have a less productive work force

I am for the legailization of marijuana, but it is complete BS that it will save the economy. It does not add to the US production (we already produce the crop illegally) and the only difference is that there will be a tax. It is the same logic that increasing taxes on food will help the economy.

The government could raise more money by increasing the tax to the top income brackets by 1%.

[reggie the dog]

120. cite a singe study showing cannabis

leads to less productive workers and I will show you one saying it INCREASES productivity in workers.

[gravity]

125. I'm basing it on personal experience

[reggie the dog]

126. me too

weed probably has little or no effect. Lazy people are still lazy when they smoke and energetic people still have their energy.

[HughMoran]

99. Mass took a step in the right direction by decriminalizing 1 oz or less

Finally some common sense on this issue! It should be like this nation wide!

[happychatter]

100. marijuana should be completely legal for an infinite number of reasons BUT

that ain't one of them

nice shirt

did you get that at the Hemp Fest?

[Perky]

101. I think somone is smoking to much of what they are proposing,

[liberalpragmatist]

105. Is this a joke?

I'm all for legalization, but the idea that legalization will on its own save our economy -- and that legalization is the ONLY way to save our economy -- is beyond ridiculous. This is like a parody of a pot-smoker's thoughts.

[slay]

107. I TOTALLY agree

Legalize it. Let only small, regulated businesses grow and sell. Tax it. It's only fair considering tobacco and alcohol are legal. Also, with the rise of vaporizors, you don't even need to inhale smoke anymore! Marijuana a miracle plant - in my opinion, yes! :smoke:

*on edit: The solution lies in the gigantic profit margin in marijuana. Since it is a weed it is very easy to grow. If legal the price would drop to a point where the tax on it could be 50% of the total cost one would pay or higher IMO. The tax money that could be had every year from weed would be HUGE where as now is it non-existant.

[citizen snips]

109. Does the government already take property from

drug dealers if they are caught with a certain amount of weed?

[olkaz]

115. For the record, this is ridiculous and stupid.

Yes, legalization should be sought, but it isn't going to solve the freaking financial crisis.

Feels like I'm listening to hippies yammering on about "the man".

[1corona4u]

117. No shit....I wasn't aware that pot was still a 'cool' thing to do....

I gave it up years ago, when I grew up.

[TheKentuckian]

122. The OP is hyperbole but its an outright lie that we don't spend a significant

amount of money on enforcement, incarceration, and propaganda or that considerable tax revenue could be raised by doing away with a wrong minded prohibition.

The OP vastly overreached and allowed the debate to be spun as a joke and puff dream, which marginalizes some real money that we can put to much better use than it is being burned on now.
Present some real arguments that ending the failed "War on Drugs" and finding some new tax streams would not translate perhaps directly (if not more) than two pressing needs like healthcare and the money Obama wants to invest in new energy development. Hell, just look at the resources being wasted within the judiciaries and with incarceration and this is more of a "Yes We Can" proposition than many would admit.

The money we waste on vice efforts is far from insignificant and a soaring dream of an OP doesn't negate that.

[ddeclue]

128. Put down the bong and the twinkies dude...

:rofl:

[krkaufman]

131. Well, the economy won't get all that much better ...

... but it'll sure seem like less of a problem if I have a home-grown supply of weed available.