Should POT be de-criminalized, as pertains the USA? What if it is legal? Any benifits?
First let me state that I believe the legal prohibition of "processed" or enhanced drugs which have a potential to cause death directly from their usage should not only be continued, but also justifies increased interdiction and most any form of erradication efforts... both in terms of supplier and user.
In the case of marijuana, an organic and wholely innocuous substance (not a narcotic) which the government has no business trying to control or eradicate, it is not a question so much of morality but one of practicality and reasonability. And before you even think it, forget it. This old man is NOT a user but is a former user (quit in 1972). It has no appeal to me because it is illegal and probably too expensive.
These are some of the arguements I have found credible:
The simple fact that it is illegal is what gives this easily cultivated substance value to those who would take advantage of it's suppression and are willing to risk criminal prosecution for distributing it in defiance of the law.
Legalize it, tax it and regulate instead of ban it and you will have destroyed a multi-billion dollar source of profits for organized crime. A bag of illegal pot costing $100 if legalized would instead sell (at a good profit for the legal producer) for less than $10 (after all, you can easily grow it virtually anywhere).
You will instantly free up countless millions of dollars in law enforcement resources and officers for more purposeful uses.
You will produce enough tax revenue in federal coffers (not to mention state treasuries) to virtually eliminate the budget deficits and wipe out the national debt in less than 10 years if the reasonable tax revenues were applied to do so. Proceeds could also be used to fund education, hard drug addicition or medicaid outside the general fund.
You would instantly free up tens of thousands of beds or "slots" in penitentiaries and jails providing space for as many violent repetative criminals which will go far to reduce felonious crimes and free up valuable law enforcement professionals and budget resources.
Important medical research into this amazingly useful, naturally-ocurring substance (THC) could be brought into the light enabling legal speculative investigation of its useful application as a medical remedy.
In short, the economic sense in legalization is overwhelming as is the medical sense in research. And no one, to the best of my knowledge, has ever been directly killed or has died from using it in itself. Of course, since it is a mood-altering drug and known to impair physical performance during use (like alcohol), one's irresponsible actions following its use are not withstanding.
I fail to see sufficient reason to oppose legalization.
Specious arguements such as "gateway drug" and permanent brain damage" aside since neither is empiracally provable, should someone be able to reasonably produce sufficient arguements to warrant disregard of the practicality, I will change my point of view.
End of rant.
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I place my trust in God, gold, guts and guns... everything else is suspect!
A man's personal liberty depends no less on his economic freedom to earn and expend than on his ability to proficiently use his firearm in its ultimate defense.
First let me state that I believe the legal prohibition of "processed" or enhanced drugs which have a potential to cause death directly from their usage should not only be continued, but also justifies increased interdiction and most any form of erradication efforts... both in terms of supplier and user.
In the case of marijuana, an organic and wholely innocuous substance (not a narcotic) which the government has no business trying to control or eradicate, it is not a question so much of morality but one of practicality and reasonability. And before you even think it, forget it. This old man is NOT a user but is a former user (quit in 1972). It has no appeal to me because it is illegal and probably too expensive.
These are some of the arguements I have found credible:
The simple fact that it is illegal is what gives this easily cultivated substance value to those who would take advantage of it's suppression and are willing to risk criminal prosecution for distributing it in defiance of the law.
Legalize it, tax it and regulate instead of ban it and you will have destroyed a multi-billion dollar source of profits for organized crime. A bag of illegal pot costing $100 if legalized would instead sell (at a good profit for the legal producer) for less than $10 (after all, you can easily grow it virtually anywhere).
You will instantly free up countless millions of dollars in law enforcement resources and officers for more purposeful uses.
You will produce enough tax revenue in federal coffers (not to mention state treasuries) to virtually eliminate the budget deficits and wipe out the national debt in less than 10 years if the reasonable tax revenues were applied to do so. Proceeds could also be used to fund education, hard drug addicition or medicaid outside the general fund.
You would instantly free up tens of thousands of beds or "slots" in penitentiaries and jails providing space for as many violent repetative criminals which will go far to reduce felonious crimes and free up valuable law enforcement professionals and budget resources.
Important medical research into this amazingly useful, naturally-ocurring substance (THC) could be brought into the light enabling legal speculative investigation of its useful application as a medical remedy.
In short, the economic sense in legalization is overwhelming as is the medical sense in research. And no one, to the best of my knowledge, has ever been directly killed or has died from using it in itself. Of course, since it is a mood-altering drug and known to impair physical performance during use (like alcohol), one's irresponsible actions following its use are not withstanding.
I fail to see sufficient reason to oppose legalization.
Specious arguements such as "gateway drug" and permanent brain damage" aside since neither is empiracally provable, should someone be able to reasonably produce sufficient arguements to warrant disregard of the practicality, I will change my point of view.
End of rant.
--------------------
I place my trust in God, gold, guts and guns... everything else is suspect!
A man's personal liberty depends no less on his economic freedom to earn and expend than on his ability to proficiently use his firearm in its ultimate defense.
