There's been a great deal of talk over the last year or so of legalization and taxation of marijuana. In fact certain states have decriminalized possession of the narcotic - including the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts. There's even a Cannabis Cafe that opened up in Portland, testing a new federal policy not to prosecute medical users (Oregon state law allows for medical marijuana usage) despite use and possession of marijuana still being illegal on the federal level. Health and moral arguments aside, there is a very compelling economic argument to be made to legalize marijuana and thus make it subject to taxation. So-called "sin" taxes on alcohol, cigarettes, and gambling are often resorted to in tough economics times - again, the Commonwealth recently introduced a sales tax on alcohol to combat budget problems - so throwing marijuana into the mix could be a big winner. Check out this excellent infographic from sloshspot.com, depicting money spent fighting pot-related crime and potential tax revenues that could be realized:
Marijuana is almost laughably benign, especially contrasted with widely available legal drugs such as alcohol, nicotine, and prescription drugs. The trend is toward growing decriminalization of the drug. I think weak moral and public health arguments supporting its continued criminalization plus overwhelming economic arguments will over the next couple decades or so see it completely legal, regulated, and taxed - just like alcohol and cigarettes. And I think this would be a big win as public policy.
What do you think about the probability of marijuana being legalized over the next few years? Do you agree or disagree with it - either as public policy or a matter of principle?
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Comments: 26
It employs the prison guards that gave the U.S. such an altered world image than we had before the widely publicized prison-abuse issues in Iraq and Cuba. Some of the protagonists were employed in U.S. prisons before joining the military.
It is impossible to wipe out such a robust and resilient plant as hemp and its relatives, used by the founders for paper and other products.
It doesn't matter how hard competitors for its market scheme and carry on. Nature is more resilient than the human ability to use force to squish low-cost, more efficient competition, with government coercion.
It has gotten so that I expect many government agencies to do the opposite of what their titles are.
Dr. Bronner's soap company has fought the DEA, an agency that would be better named if it went after side-effect issues of any drug, legal or illegal.
Dr. Bronner's is a private, for-profit company doing yeoman's work to try to correct government behaviors that are unspeakably harmful to U.S. interests, in favor of that of countries like Canada.
What's more, the entire non-profit industry can be in collusion with government and mis-named.
Check out the effects of the Nature Conservancy, in some instances, both on less-sophisticated communities in the U.S., but in foreign countries as well.
In Washington state, The Nature Conservancy has been part of a public-private partnership spraying herbicides directly on sea grasses in marine environments. The harm of this behavior will be shaking out for a long time, not only from the active ingredients, but from the surfactants, which make organisms so much more vulnerable to opportunistic infections.
In South America, some indigenous people have suffered removal from subsistence living and stewardship of forest by take-overs by U.S. corporations, either public or non-profit. One cannot tell if a corporation has compassion or not by whether it calls itself for-profit or non-profit.
My point here is that the U.S. is grossly inefficient because it encourages coercion to deal with public health issues rather than harm-reduction, which is provably more efficacious.
To some extent, the Obama administration has lessened the inefficiency, but there is so far to go along a sensible road rather than an alarmist, Drama-King, or should I say, Drama-Czar-road.
This issue is hooked in to the other major challenges we face.
“There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others.”
“…the primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races.”
“Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death.”
“Reefer makes darkies think they’re as good as white men.”
“Marihuana leads to pacifism and communist brainwashing”
“You smoke a joint and you’re likely to kill your brother.”
“Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind.”
H.J.Anslinger's Yellow Journalism buddy William Randolf Hearst - San Francisco Examiner:
“Marihuana makes fiends of boys in thirty days — Hashish goads users to bloodlust.”
“By the tons it is coming into this country — the deadly, dreadful poison that racks and tears not only the body, but the very heart and soul of every human being who once becomes a slave to it in any of its cruel and devastating forms…. Marihuana is a short cut to the insane asylum. Smoke marihuana cigarettes for a month and what was once your brain will be nothing but a storehouse of horrid specters. Hasheesh makes a murderer who kills for the love of killing out of the mildest mannered man who ever laughed at the idea that any habit could ever get him….”
And other nationwide columns…
“Users of marijuana become STIMULATED as they inhale the drug and are LIKELY TO DO ANYTHING. Most crimes of violence in this section, especially in country districts are laid to users of that drug.”
“Was it marijuana, the new Mexican drug, that nerved the murderous arm of Clara Phillips when she hammered out her victim’s life in Los Angeles?… THREE-FOURTHS OF THE CRIMES of violence in this country today are committed by DOPE SLAVES — that is a matter of cold record.”
"Hearst and Anslinger were then supported by DuPont chemical company and various pharmaceutical companies in the effort to outlaw cannabis. DuPont had patented nylon, and wanted hemp removed as competition. The pharmaceutical companies could neither identify nor standardize cannabis dosages, and besides, with cannabis, folks could grow their own medicine and not have to purchase it from large companies. "
The political process, in short detail, was based primarily on manipulated media coverage...
The committee passed the legislation on. And on the floor of the house, the entire discussion was:
Member from upstate New York: “Mr. Speaker, what is this bill about?”
Speaker Rayburn: “I don’t know. It has something to do with a thing called marihuana. I think it’s a narcotic of some kind.”
“Mr. Speaker, does the American Medical Association support this bill?”
Member on the committee jumps up and says: “Their Doctor Wentworth[sic] came down here. They support this bill 100 percent.”
And on the basis of that lie, on August 2, 1937, marijuana became illegal at the federal level.
The entire coverage in the New York Times: “President Roosevelt signed today a bill to curb traffic in the narcotic, marihuana, through heavy taxes on transactions.”
source: DrugWarRant.com by Pete Guither
Sorry but that does not cut it, your perception of their behavior versus what is going on in actuality in their brain are VASTLY different. Here is a perfect example of when a opinion is wrong.
"I think they behave stupider than those who drink too much."
Alcohol is a depressant, that means it slows down or stops entirely brain cells from working. Obviously it makes them dumber, but they *can* compose themselves in most cases, being able to compose yourself- does not a genius make.
Marijuana is neither a stimulant, nor a depressant- pick up any recent pharmacology book used in top schools and that is what you will find. What you perceive as stupidity is actually their brains are busy, preoccupied in exercise to be exact. The hippocampus in particular which is responsible for dealing with stress and anxiety- as well as a pathway for forming short term memory. It causes 0 damage, it actually restores function.
Dont believe it causes 0 damage? Well the way cannibinoids (the compounds active in marijuana) effect the hippocampus is as follows:
It asks the cell to send out some signals- the cell is still in control, it decides if it becoming too active. Too active is bad- marijuana cannot reach the point of damaging the cell. Alcohol on the other hand cares not what your cells think, it is a toxic substance which indiscriminately effects and destroys cells throughout your entire body.
Most soldiers diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder have one thing in common, a MRI of their brain that shows a shrunken or less dense hippocampus. The reason for this is- when you witness something horrible, you release a lot of stress hormones in your hippocampus- these destroy the hippocampus. Absolutely wreak havoc, the reason is so you can forget the horror. The way it does that is by sabotaging the short term memory, once that is done that piece of information cannot be turned into long term memory. All stress encountered in our daily lives by our environment damage our hippocampus.
Marijuana is a very viable treatment for PTSD, it performs neurogenesis of the hippocampus. But it does so in a even more elegant way- the way marijuana activates these systems uses a key hand full of them- ones that do not destroy the hippocampus, but do excite it. People who get paranoid are exercising their anxiety muscle as it were, as with all exercise- no pain, no gain. Or use it or lose it, both work aptly well. That is why it can make some people anxious and still increase density and mass in damaged brains (anyone with stress)
"Yes, legalize it so that people can act even more stupid and irresponsible than they already are."
Yes, keep it illegal so people are subjugated to dealing with criminals and possibly smoking it away from their own homes because of the stigma attached to it. That sounds much more sensible.
You have a problem with drug abuse, not a drug- nor the use of one.
Drug use: using a drug.
Drug Abuse: when the use of a drug does more damage then good.
It is actually very simple and it works on every kind of abuse. Whether it is a sexual addiction, or a gambling addiction, or a drug addiction.
As far as a recreational drug goes, you brain is tailored to use marijuana- that is a simple fact. People use recreational drugs for you guessed it recreation- which is relief from stress, obviously people smoke their grass cause they enjoy, but it is also cures the effect of stress through hippocampal neurogenesis.
It must be too good to be true, it does not destroy a single brain cell, and promotes a healthy and balanced mind as a SIDE EFFECT.
Its gotta give you cancer then right? No, you can find numerous journals and studies performed by the most respected schools and they conclude that even heavy smoking (daily a few times a day) does not raise your chance of lung cancer, nor does it raise brain cancer, nor mouth- or throat, or the rest of the digestive system. I wont argue that there are carcinogens in marijuana smoke- there is no doubt, when you grill a steak you are making tons of carcinogens- anytime organic matter is burned, it makes carcinogens. Pot smoke makes more tar then tobacco and they dont have a filter you might say. Well just because two things are similar- does not mean they behave the same way. Carbon monoxide is deadly, our lifespans would be short without the aid of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere or nitrogen. Similar, but different.
3 grams of nicotine will kill you, the average pack of cigs contains 30,000-90,000 added chemicals. To make it taste better, to make it more addictive, to make it burn nicer, to make it stay fresh longer.
Hopefully you see a bit of a difference in that but it goes much deeper, marijuana fights cancer in 2 ways. Yes smoking a big fat doobie everyday fights cancer. How you might ask- well for a short explanation:
CB1, CB2 are the receptors marijuana effects on cells- one effect is the release of a tumor suppressant. It works on the P-53 gene. What does that mean, well all healthy cells make sure they are running within certain tolerances, if they go haywire the cell will recycle itself. The neighbor will notice there is space- and replace it. In every type of cancer- the P-53 gene gets shut off, it could be from breathing in air fresheners, or simply catching the flu. This allows the cancerous cell to work very hard and demand things from the body. The tumor suppressor when it contacts a cancerous cell- turns that switch back on, and the cell pops- it is called apoptosis actually.
But wait, that is not the only way marijuana fights cancer- tumors require alot of blood, cause they need alot of oxygen and sugar. Marijuana as it turns out is a true blood flow regulator it has turned out. It constricts the blood vessels in tumors, as well as causing neighboring healthy cells to signal a stop to the growth of vascular system to the tumor.
But it does the complete opposite in a person with glaucoma, it is even good for your heart- if your heart is damaged. Damaged means dead and to regrow faster and stronger it is going to need a good supply, just as in the eyes in the damaged heart it will encourage this. But some peoples hearts race when the smoke you might be thinking. Well statistically moving your bowels is over 43 times more dangerous. While providing no benefit to the heart directly. Forget about the effect it has on stress/anxiety center of the brain which a damaged heart can use.
Alcohol is addictive, you can get physically addicted- trembling and non functional without it.
This is not true with marijuana, that is not to say a person cannot be addicted to it though mentally. I am addicted to tv, but there is nothing being emitted by the tv that keeps me watching it- other then my own mind. My body will not ceasing to function because I have not gotten my tv fix. But I might be cranky.
And what is not to get cranky about, a plant that is harvestable 4 times a year, rejuvenates the soil, and grows just about anywhere somehow costs me $400-$900 an ounce for good organic stuff. That is comparable to the price of gold. Not to mention I might get arrested, and/or lose my job because I want to use a recreational substance that heals the body.
And why does it cost that much? Because it is illegal. Yes keep paying drug dealers who would just as quickly sell a child heroin or crack up to a thousand dollars an ounce. That sounds really sensible instead of just having come from a store that pays employees and taxes for far less the cost, due to competitive free trade in a responsible manner (safe enviroment, no hard drugs).
As always--Cannabis Healing Arts agree's with sales taxes on cannabis as it is an herb and all other herbs in Colorado require sales tax.
As always--Cannabis Healing Arts is AGAINST ANY ADDITIONAL TAXES. Cannabis is a medicine. It does not cost society (and as everyone is seeing it actua...lly helps society in many ways including financial). It will heal the nations.
Alcohol and tobacco COST society. Combined some 800,000 people a year die from their consumption. 'Sin' taxes are for things that cost society and inappropriate to impose on SICK PEOPLE for the safest, most widely used therapeutic substance known to man. Why will the sick cannabis users or businesses be saddled with additional TAXES?
Alcohol and Tobacco KILL. Cannabis HEALS...............
Its good to see how many of you feel passionately about this subject, and hopefully one day common sense will prevail over the antiquated views that so many in this country have on legalization.
Woodstock Universe supports legalization of Marijuana.
We will giveaway a Woodstock Universe Prize Package to the best member blog on “Why we should legalize marijuana?”
Prize package includes Woodstock Universe T-shirt and magnet, WDST decal, Radio Woodstock Live in Woodstock CD and Woodstock 3 days of peace and music Director’s Cut DVD.
Join Woodstock Universe to blog.
Add your vote in our poll about legalization at:
http://www.woodstockuniverse.com.
Current poll results…97% for legalization, 3% against.
Peace, love, music, one world,
RFWoodstock
It is important to note the original instances that created our current problem. A racist push for department finances and special interests were the original reasons for marijuana prohibition. Alcohol prohibition had ended. The head of what equaled the DEA 70 odd years ago, needed revenue.. This is the original mindset and process that criminalized marijuana...
Harry J. Anslinger - most direct founder of marijuana prohibition:
“There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others.”
“…the primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races.”
“Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death.”
“Reefer makes darkies think they’re as good as white men.”
“Marihuana leads to pacifism and communist brainwashing”
“You smoke a joint and you’re likely to kill your brother.”
“Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind.”
William Randolf Hearst - H.J.Anslinger's Yellow Journalism partner, San Francisco Examiner:
“Marihuana makes fiends of boys in thirty days — Hashish goads users to bloodlust.”
“By the tons it is coming into this country — the deadly, dreadful poison that racks and tears not only the body, but the very heart and soul of every human being who once becomes a slave to it in any of its cruel and devastating forms…. Marihuana is a short cut to the insane asylum. Smoke marihuana cigarettes for a month and what was once your brain will be nothing but a storehouse of horrid specters. Hasheesh makes a murderer who kills for the love of killing out of the mildest mannered man who ever laughed at the idea that any habit could ever get him….”
Other nationwide columns:
“Users of marijuana become STIMULATED as they inhale the drug and are LIKELY TO DO ANYTHING. Most crimes of violence in this section, especially in country districts are laid to users of that drug.”
“Was it marijuana, the new Mexican drug, that nerved the murderous arm of Clara Phillips when she hammered out her victim’s life in Los Angeles?… THREE-FOURTHS OF THE CRIMES of violence in this country today are committed by DOPE SLAVES — that is a matter of cold record.”
Furthermore:
"Hearst and Anslinger were then supported by DuPont chemical company and various pharmaceutical companies in the effort to outlaw cannabis. DuPont had patented nylon, and wanted hemp removed as competition. The pharmaceutical companies could neither identify nor standardize cannabis dosages, and besides, with cannabis, folks could grow their own medicine and not have to purchase it from large companies. "
After completing a two year plan to brainwash society using these sensationalist reports fostered by racist ideology and funded by special intrest, all these guys needed was evidence.. They of course did find their evidence - A two year campaign of manipulated media-opinion coverage was presented as documented evidence to a government committee..
The committee passed the legislation on. And on the floor of the house, the entire discussion was:
Member from upstate New York: “Mr. Speaker, what is this bill about?”
Speaker Rayburn: “I don’t know. It has something to do with a thing called marihuana. I think it’s a narcotic of some kind.”
“Mr. Speaker, does the American Medical Association support this bill?”
Member on the committee jumps up and says: “Their Doctor Wentworth came down here. They support this bill 100 percent.”
And on the basis of that lie, on August 2, 1937, marijuana became illegal at the federal level.
At this point the enforcement bodies are using similar tactics to maintain negative opinion on marijuana... Current public remarks, ads, and press releases do not contain the same racist sentiment - that is true.. usually... unless indirect... Although... the use of marijuana among users of all races here in the USA are proportionate, but for some strange reason arrests for possession is considerably varied when viewed by race...
No, it is FEAR they still publicly use... Disjointed ads that depict someone neglecting a child or whatever horribly bad imagery they can muster to hold your moral fiber hostage.. Tools of fear, these things are not directly related with marijuana use. There are plenty of people that neglect children with no influence of marijuana. Those are the same people whether they excessively watch TV, play some mmorpg, drink alcohol, abuse steroids, coach a high school football team - what ever - eat pizza every weekend.. the correlation might as well be any of that... Fact is, you would not want intoxication and care of a child together... General opinion supporting this is twisted into acceptance that marijuana makes this happen... Irresponsibility is the fiend, and marijuana did not create the irresponsibility. Imagine the same message blaming beer for causing the child neglect... Excluding propaganda, a seemingly more plausible scenario anyhow, blame seems naturally assigned to the drinker and not the drink... The changing factor is the shroud of "Reefer Madness". Just as in the start.. same old "Earth will plunge into Hell" fear mongering arguments... Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
Of course, there are entities that benefit from marijuana prohibition and are also sworn to uphold it as part of their very job description.
To quote the DEA, the last time I was at their site:
"The short term effects of marijuana use include:
Memory loss, distorted perception, trouble with thinking and problem solving, loss of motor skills, decrease in muscle strength, increased heart rate, and anxiety."
Now lets look at short term effects with alcohol, only briefly though because the list just goes on and on:
The short term effects of alcohol use include but not nearly limited to:
Reduced Inhibitions,Loss of Muscle Control, Memory Loss and/or Blackouts, Trouble with Thinking and Problem Solving, Nausea, Vomiting ,Headaches, Hangovers, Stupor, Distorted Perception, Decrease in Heart Rate, decrease in Muscle Strength, Suicidal Tendencies, Anxiety, and Coma.
To put it mildly ..I personally do not think marijuana is addictive. Sources supporting otherwise say marijuana is addictive on a psychological level and not a physical level... So, you think you need it, but your body, including the brain, is not truly addicted.. Negative effects of detoxing for marijuana are as bad as anxious behavior/less patience.. Negative effects of detoxing for alcohol are as bad as death...
Rational individuals, who are agenda free, can not deny the dangers of alcohol.
With further investigation, the prohibition on marijuana is much worse for society than that of its legalization.
Suggest, if you will... Normal everyday citizen... They go to work, balance their check book, pay for things, raise children.. you know, live a normal life with one exception.. they ingest marijuana.. Barring any excessive usage/abuse, (which is clearly the same case as with many already legal substances), these people function fine... except respiratory issues when smoked... Do I need mention it is legal to "smoke"! Now lets look at when that same normal everyday citizen gets arrested for possession:
Prohibition can cause in short:
1) job loss
2) criminal charges
3) loss of children
4) denial of federal aid
5) financial downfall
6) life endangerment
7) loss of freedom
The cruel and unusual punishment list goes on... Point is, again, marijuana prohibition is worse for the individual/society than legalization... and not for a moment should we accept this "gateway drug" propaganda... Those whom do, think this plant is essentially the stepping stone to harder drugs.. This bothers me, the marijuana plant is really the first step of drug abuse, and punished as the worst class of drug? Seems to me, these already invalid arguments contradict themselves anyway... This is cruel and unusual punishment at its finest... You get caught with the first step, and you get punished as if you were on the last step.. Yes, the broad arm of enforcement claims it is favorable in the struggle to discourage usage of marijuana... so it wont draw you in, suck you up into a crazy world of drug culture, and expose you to other harder illegal drugs.. Even pretending this is real.. People still end up paying the exaggerated punishment while campaign results are grim. Prohibition is the fiend, and marijuana did not create the prohibition. Eliminate the black market distribution and good people will no longer need to be exposed to the black market.. Eradication and prohibition efforts have not accomplished this, and I dare say will not.. You have to give it up to the enforcement guys though .. They are charged with upholding this law and to do anything they can that will accomplish that. It is our job to change the laws.. then enforcement will be sworn to uphold the new ones.
In conclusion it appears to me there is big money at work - alcohol, textile, oil, enforcement agencies, drug cartels, etc, all benefit. The rest of us seem to be pawns... that is:
Unless we speak up and let our voice be heard for change in the current law, and against any individual that would have you believe "A law is a law - it does not matter if it is wrong or right!".
The latter happens to be against a founding principle of this great country. Stop wasting resources on this plant. Record eradication every year - as well as - record growth and availability. This is a money pit for something that is no worse than alcohol.
To those whom are against marijuana - free your mind of arguments attached to fear mongering please.