huffingtonpost.com — Californians head to the polls this November to consider the legalization of pot and, by extension, whether the state and local governments should receive income by taxing it. While both sides of the "legalization debate" have merit, when emotion is stripped from the debate, it becomes a simple economic issue.
Apr 9, 2010 View in Crawl 4
bigviApr 10, 2010
Even if it falls to a dollar it would still generate a profit for the states versus the current system. The government wouldnt have to send cops into peoples homes to tell them not to inhale that evil smoke. How much would that save right there? And I am not just talking about enforcement, but lawsuits and imprisonment.
tritonxApr 10, 2010
Why the hell isn't it legal already all over the world? I'm exasperated. It's stupidly retarded to be treated as a criminal for smoking marijauana.
5urr3al5amApr 10, 2010
more drug propaganda
drmobutuApr 10, 2010
Here is my idea for a de-facto legalization: Legal for medical use, but require the user to sign a waiver, rather than get a doctor's recommendation. This would keep usage responsible and discrete, under medical use guidelines. The waiver would specifiy conditions for usage: no driving, no smoking in "no smoking" public areas, no furnishing to minors, etc....there would still be penalties for these offenses, but simple possession would be legal. Cultivation and distribution would be subject to the State Attorney General's guidelines, for medical use.
taxmoreApr 10, 2010
I find it funny one of the main reasons liberals want to legalize weed is so they can tax it.
jsffiveApr 10, 2010
I'm sorry, but it's NOT just a "simple economic issue".It's about individual rights. It's about individual accountability and responsibility. It's about self-determination. And it cuts to the very core of the philosophy of central planning and federal government infringements on people's rights.Perhaps Mr. Zerega thinks this is an economics issue because, once legalized, he plans on going down to the local 7-Eleven and buying a pack of joints, but I personally plan on starting a grow room. And the state will get NO revenue from me... until, of course, authoritarian liberal progressives like Mr. Zerega decides that it's time to tax my personal consumption.You know, so we can all "help society" with our tax contributions.But I'm sure he wouldn't advocate something like that, now would he?
sangjmoonApr 11, 2010
If you actually sorted by the real federal dollar amounts spent, you would find 9 of the 10 top states that take federal dollars are blue states.
ddrskataApr 11, 2010
Bulls**t. Complete and utter bulls**t. Give me a source on that if you can. And I genuinely doubt that you can, because you're making it up.
bigviApr 16, 2010
That applies to consumerism in general. What you are talking about is a black market.