Legalize Grass?

That's what is currently being proposed in California in an effort to bridge the massive $26.3 billion budget deficit. California tax officials estimate the bill's passage will generate approximately $1.4 billion for the state (I'm assuming annually). Personally, I don't see much of a problem in this proposal. I'll give you a couple reasons why I think this is a good proposal and why that $1.4 billion number is on the low side.

First and foremost, people call weed the gateway drug. In my opinion, the "gateway" to harder stuff is correlated to the caliber person you are buying from. Most drug dealers aren't exactly top rate citizens. Their goal is to make money by any means necessary. If you were able to buy pot from the local corner store, I say the likelihood of becoming associated with drug dealers, thus the likelihood or trying heavier drugs, is much lower. Therefore, more people may smoke grass as a result of this bill, but I believe less people will engage in other more addictive, more dangerous drugs.

That last statement moves into my next point. Some people may say, "Isn't more people smoking weed a bad thing?" While I'm not going to argue that it's a plus for society, I urge you to think about alcohol. Alcohol is available everywhere and is used much more frequently per capita than that of marijuana. Why do I make this point? Because the effects of cannabis are nothing compared to alcohol. Nothing. It's not as big a deal as some make it out to be.

My third point involves the direct income that legalizing the plant would create. In the linked article below from Yahoo! News, the plan is to sell 1 ounce for $50. Let's just say the current street value is much higher, leaving room for price increases. Although, I concede that price increases may not work based on the fundamental principle of economics, supply and demand. If pot is legalized, expect home grow operations to increase.

My final point is two fold. First, one has to consider the drug trade. The gang capital of the world is found in southern California. These gang members don't exactly have legitimate jobs. Their income comes from drug trafficking and dealing. Marijuana is always a cash crop for these gangs (just watch "Gangland" on the History Channel if you have doubts). Legalize pot and take away a huge source of income from some of the most violent and notorious gangs in the country. Furthermore, anyone following the news recently would know about the massive drug war going on in Mexico. The drug cartels are battling the authorities as the US and Mexican governments are trying to slow the drug trade. As I mentioned before, marijuana is a cash crop for the Mexican drug cartels. Legalization could help slow their operation. The second part of my final point involves the law enforcement costs associated with policing marijuana. This would be an indirect function of legalization. The state and local authorities will save millions of dollars as a result of the bill. Therefore, expect the combination of income and cost savings from the bill to far exceed the proposed $1.4 billion.

This is not an easy decision and I understand the hesitation. Legalizing pot would alter a long standing policy in the United States. However, I believe the benefits could outweigh the costs. Something to think about.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090716/ap_on_re_us/us_marijuana_taxes