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Having just read a newsviner's short essay on the subject, I thought maybe I should muscle in a little thought from my table of thinking. So let's get to the center of the subject.
Marijuana has been a heavy topic of interest believe it or not with roughly 75% of America. Remembering about a year ago when Obama opened up the can of worms and asked America to ask him questions in email form, anyone recall this? The question asked the most was if he was willing to legalize pot. He refused to answer or even entertain the question, basically saying NO. Even though logically, even now, the answer should be yes.
Somewhere on the web, I read an informative web page filled with Marijuana taxation facts. In memory, which I won't deny is slightly off at times, I remember the reading that Illegal Marijuana Business reaches somewhere in the 500 billion in Illegal Revenue, and roughly 300 billion in fines and property seizures per year. The article said that if we were to legalize pot, the tax alone would reach, in estimate, 900 billion to 1 Trillion in its first year. The taxation would be much like cigarettes and alcohol, a steep tax per sale over the counter.
Lets say for example Marlboro RJ Reynolds starts selling Marijuana Cigarette Packs at $20.00 per pack, the tax would be huge, earning roughly 5$ per sale, making the pack cost about $25.00. Now looking at the percentage of people alone who voted to ask Obama to legalize pot, roughly 70% of America who responded, that would mean in one year, that taxation would start to settle our national debt.
Then the questioning of Marijuana use comes into play. Not too long ago, a study was done that totally contradicted the study done in the 1970's, stating clearly that Marijuana is not as addictive or as physiologically harmful. The earlier study said that marijuana caused people to go crazy and murder, and cause psychosis, ect ect. The latest studies proved that was way way way off, actually stating it had medicinal benefits and did not cause brain damage, and even believe it or not, repaired some brain functions in people who had brain damage. Yes, repaired. Marijuana is the first substance to be found that had a positive effect on brain cell repair.
The so-called addictive qualities of smoking pot was reduced to the addiction to coffee. 200X less than cigarettes, about equal to the need to ingest caffeine, and withdrawals equal to that of missing your cup of coffee in the morning. The earlier studies said it was equal to cocaine or heroin. Of course then when the study was done, it was made by "Government" scientists, and the president at the time was trying to start the first marijuana legislation and create a drug czar. Hence the need to make this drug appear as harmful as possible during that time period.
Right now the DEA and all other forms of drug enforcement spend 2.602 billion to 5.302 Billion annually. Mostly the focus is on Marijuana. Where as Cocaine flows non-stop, they go out of their way to bust Americans for pot related offenses, instead of going overseas to get at the heart of cocaine production in South America. Far easier to say you're doing a good job busting home growers, and small time home farmers, then getting the drug traffic slowed from outside of America. Especially now looking at Mexico as of late, the cocaine seeping through our borders is less of a topic then illegal people coming into Arizona. Cocaine kills, is highly addictive, and causes more deaths in the traffic trade then any other drug in America.
So lets take a small look at Marijuana as a taxation, not a harmful drug. Because it simply is not. The medical world has for a long time tried to deny this, but smoking pot for many of Americans has taken them off almost every known pill they were on. It has been claimed by many to be the best remedy for anything from migraine headaches, to MDS, to back pain and AIDS. While I am not saying it is a cure-all, it is a better drug then pills any day.
Why doesn't anyone listen? Well if you look into the history of drugs generalized in America, most people look at someone citing that Pot is helping them as a way to be able to use or abuse an illegal drug. If this was so, then why don't cocaine addicts come out and make the same claims?
Brad Pitt jokingly said he was going to run for President once, on the "no way in hell will I win ticket". When asked what he meant, he said the first thing he'd do as President is legalize pot. Joking or not, the smart candidate that actually runs on that ticket, would win. A poll done several times on facebook, having over 2 million hits, 72% of those who voted, said YES to the legalization of Pot. 72%...so lets just say, for sayings sake, that 60% of America smokes pot, there goes the elections!
The Budget right now...would be closed down in four years just from the taxation of cannabis, nothing else. I think it should be legalized, and for whatever reason you say no, I suggest you really do some research first.
