Big Private Prison Industry hates the idea. But $15 Billion a year would

[truedelphi]

Be saved, if a sane society would consider the information at this source, and stop jailing cannabis smokers, sellers and distributors:

http://www.policymic.com/articles/54803/this-is-how-much-marijuana-prohibition-costs-you-the-taxpayer

[think]

1. K&R For commonsense, true justice, and REAL fiscal responsibility...

[SammyWinstonJack]

2. rec!

[Go Vols]

3. KnR

The US imprisons more citizens per capita than any other on Earth and that's fucked up.

[Blue Owl]

4. The arguments against cannabis are doobious, at best

n/t

[PDJane]

5. This is a neocon idea; that private industry saves money.

It doesn't. The best way to provide services and save money is to use government employees to provide those services. The only thing that private industry does is make money for a very small group of people.

[truedelphi]

6. And as the OP suggests, not arresting anyone for the mere

growing, possession, distribution, of marijuana would go along way to keeping that money for more useful purposes in the public arena.

Spring 2013, a man whose mission had been to see to it that people in Calif.'s Central Valley have medical marijuana was given a ten year sentence. Meanwhile, in order top balance the budget, the state government has cut back our school districts and fire district monies.

Show me one banking exec who has been charged similarly. Many of the Big Financial Swindlers are holding, or have been holding, positions of great power inside the Obama Administration.