Pubdate: Thu, 06 Aug 2009
Source: Alameda Sun (CA)
Copyright: 2009 Alameda Sun
Contact:  http://alamedasun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4905
Author: Eric Turowski
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?420 (Cannabis - Popular)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

LEGALIZE IT (AND TAX IT LIKE CRAZY)

I am not a partaker of America's biggest cash crop. No, not corn, 
silly -- marijuana. Neither, apparently, are most of the lawmakers in 
this country. Looking back on all the anti-dope propaganda, it seems 
like the "killer weed" has been discriminated against through 
personal biases of drug czars.

Can California cash in on its biggest cash crop?

Crazy Talk

I am not a partaker of America's biggest cash crop. No, not corn, 
silly -- marijuana. Neither, apparently, are most of the lawmakers in 
this country.

Looking back on all the anti-dope propaganda, it seems like the 
"killer weed" has been discriminated against through personal biases 
of drug czars. Studies done have consistently shown, much to the 
chagrin of anti-drug proselytizers, that marijuana makes you sleepy, 
euphoric and somewhat hungry. Period.

This is not a personal opinion, but rather the findings of the 1972 
National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse, to wit, "The actual 
and potential harm of use of the drug is not great enough to justify 
intrusion by the criminal law into private behavior, a step which our 
society takes only with the greatest reluctance."

Over the years, a lot of marijuana advocates have used the 
recommendations of that study (which was tossed out by the Nixon 
administration) to promote removal of pot from Schedule I of the 
Controlled Substances Act, that being: the drug or other substance 
has a high potential for abuse; the drug or other substance has no 
currently accepted medical use in treatment; there is a lack of 
accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical 
supervision.

Now, I'm no expert, but I do know people (who shall, until such time 
as the prohibition ends, remain nameless) who live productive, happy 
lives and still use cannabis recreationally.

In fact, I will go as far as to say that everybody knows a pot smoker 
who is not a gutter-dwelling sex maniac on the road to heroin 
addiction, and whatever other negative implications that have been 
used to vilify marijuana usage.

This is not purely an advocacy for cannabis, however. Like many 
people, I do not smoke pot, it is not for me, but if someone else 
likes to get high and watch Three Stooges movies and eat an entire 
package of hot dogs, more power to 'em. There are worse things a 
person could do, right? But given the condition of the state and 
national economy, the time is now to decriminalize marijuana and 
apply taxation of the Machiavellian sort used for alcohol, 
cigarettes, gasoline and playing cards.

I'm not talking about just a pack of joints available at the 7-Eleven 
(and let's see some ID, please). I'm talking about paper (the 
Constitution is written on hemp paper, and it's still around), rope 
and fabric from a completely renewable source. Use it, tax it. And if 
you think tobacco smokers shoulder an inordinate burden, imagine how 
much money we can wrangle from dope smokers.

Any inmates doing time for selling marijuana, let 'em go, make them 
entrepreneurs instead of criminals, have 'em set up a shop, pay the 
city for a business license, and decrease the need for building new 
prisons. There should be more room for murderers, thieves and sex 
offenders anyway.

Plus, imagine the tourists flooding California from prohibition 
states. This would not only be a tax boom, but the restaurant 
industry could benefit immensely. And for nay-sayers who claim that 
so easily obtainable a substance could never be taxed, I say look for 
a cottage industry to explode into the biggest business on the planet.

Forget the possible medical benefits (I have high eye pressure). 
Ignore the ignorant rhetoric and associations (pot-smoking commies, 
sex fiends and, God forbid, jazz musicians) of the past. Tax 
collectors estimate increased revenue of $1.3 billion. Law 
enforcement officials estimate a $1 billion reduction in prosecuting 
non-violent marijuana offenders. It might not be a complete solution 
to our current budget process, but at least it's a step in the right direction.

It's time to just say yes.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom