Wed May 1, 2013, 10:19 PM

Coyotl (15,262 posts)

Article: Smoking Away the Deficit = Marijuana Legalization

A bit of reason:

Marijuana Legalization Could Shrink the Deficit

The government could legalize marijuana and shrink the federal deficit in a single hit. At least, that's what two politicians think. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) say the Fed could save billions of dollars by jointly taxing pot and cutting costs in drug enforcement and incarceration.

"We are trying to rationalize federal drug policy," Blumenauer told Top Line. "We're spending too much money on enforcement for something most Americans think should be legal, and we're losing revenue."

Colorado and Washington have already legalized recreational marijuana, and are taxing and regulating the drug. Blumenauer and Polis think the federal government should take a similar approach to blaze the deficit away. Some say pot could be a gateway to other drugs, but Blumenauer rejects the notion. Pot legalization and regulation will make it tougher for kids to score some, he said. ....

http://www.livescience.com/29175-legalizing-pot-to-shrink-deficit.html

10 replies, 1024 views

Thread info Bookmark this thread Trash this thread

Reply to this thread

Always highlight: 10 newest replies | Replies posted after I mark a forum

Replies to this discussion thread

10 replies	Author	Time	Post
Article: Smoking Away the Deficit = Marijuana Legalization (Original post)	Coyotl	May 2013	OP
It's ONLY a gateway if it's illegal	Politicalboi	May 2013	#1
exactly	RainDog	May 2013	#2
Raindog and you are totally correct.	napoleon_in_rags	May 2013	#3
and another thing	BillStein	May 2013	#9
When pot becomes more cost effective as opposed to the	Javaman	May 2013	#4
When liberals quit smoking it, this part of Nixon's political war will end	Coyotl	May 2013	#5
Oh I know it's origin, but it was ray-guns and halfwit nancy's	Javaman	May 2013	#6
Ronnie just upped the ante and deprived millions of African Americans of voting rights	Coyotl	May 2013	#7
it's such a giant ball of perpetual money making, rights stealing stupidity.	Javaman	May 2013	#8
And if it ever ends, then we have to pay goon pensions for another 50 years.	Coyotl	May 2013	#10

Response to Coyotl (Original post)

Wed May 1, 2013, 10:27 PM

Politicalboi (15,189 posts)

1. It's ONLY a gateway if it's illegal

When you go into a liquor store to by weed, the guy behind the counter is not going to whip out a line of coke and ask you if you would like to buy some. That is how gateways work. Keeping it illegal makes kids try other drugs they had no intention of trying till they were introduced to it.

Reply to this post

Response to Politicalboi (Reply #1)

Wed May 1, 2013, 10:37 PM

RainDog (28,784 posts)

2. exactly

more teenagers use cannabis in the U.S. than in Portugal or The Netherlands, where it is quasi-legally regulated.

ask any teenager if it's easier to score pot or alcohol. from those who have looked at this issue, the illegal nature of the cannabis market makes it easier for teenagers to access.

but what studies have also shown is that teenagers smoke weed and then, when they're of legal age, they'll drink alcohol, instead.

And alcohol use is tied into auto accidents.

the places that have made cannabis quasi-legal in the U.S. have also noted a reduction in alcohol-related traffic incidents.

As a public health and safety issue for young adults, cannabis is safer than alcohol.

Reply to this post

Response to Politicalboi (Reply #1)

Wed May 1, 2013, 10:44 PM

napoleon_in_rags (3,989 posts)

3. Raindog and you are totally correct.

The way a black market works is everything illegal gets lumped in together. Are you going to report your drug dealer for trying to sell you meth when you went to him to buy pot? No. Are you going to report seeing underage people buying from a dealer who you yourself went to to buy weed? No, you'd incriminate yourself.

Reply to this post

Response to Politicalboi (Reply #1)

Thu May 2, 2013, 09:33 AM

BillStein (758 posts)

9. and another thing

when kids realize that the feds lie about pot- addictive, brain death etc- they wonder if the authorities are lying about all drugs- so maybe heroin isn't really addictive, or PCP dangerous for other reasons etc. I still think that's at least part of what makes it a "gateway".

edited for clarity

Reply to this post

Response to Coyotl (Original post)

Thu May 2, 2013, 07:42 AM

Javaman (56,741 posts)

4. When pot becomes more cost effective as opposed to the

bullshit "war on drugs" then pot will become legal.

it's all about money.

Reply to this post

Response to Javaman (Reply #4)

Thu May 2, 2013, 07:58 AM

Coyotl (15,262 posts)

5. When liberals quit smoking it, this part of Nixon's political war will end

I know I'm being cynical, but that is the fact of the origin of the drug war, the suppression of liberal political enemies and a welfare program for conservative police forces.

Reply to this post

Response to Coyotl (Reply #5)

Thu May 2, 2013, 08:44 AM

Javaman (56,741 posts)

6. Oh I know it's origin, but it was ray-guns and halfwit nancy's

"war on drugs" that turned it into a cottage industry that bloomed into a multinational money making/money laundering outfit for the US government and the various arms suppliers.

To much money is made off this propaganda program to suddenly turn off the spigot.

Reply to this post

Response to Javaman (Reply #6)

Thu May 2, 2013, 08:57 AM

Coyotl (15,262 posts)