Legalize It

TheTodd · Post by **TheTodd** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 11:46 am

http://www.economist.com/printedition/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=13237193

annarborgator · Post by **annarborgator** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 2:29 pm

It's already the biggest cash crop in America. Imagine if we actually allowed R&D on it; imagine if we actually let entrepreneurs (and their customers) move marijuana out of the 15th century. It has been smoked at least that long, with little improvement in the plant or process other than a generalized increase in the strength through advanced propagation techniques.

Right now the American black market pot industry is probably somewhere in the range of $30-50 billion annually. (I remember reading a few years ago that the annual American crop was valued at $35B.) How much more productive can we make this economic activity? I would expect the market to grow after legalization, at least for a year or two. The industry could easily turn into a $100 billion market.

IHateUGAlyDawgs · Post by **IHateUGAlyDawgs** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 2:31 pm

I don't know about the market growing that much...I would venture to guess that 90% of the people who would/want to smoke it...already do.

TheTodd · Post by **TheTodd** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 2:33 pm

But those that currently smoke it might do so more often since it would always be readily available. I know my weed smoking friends complain when things get dry at times.

UFGirlluvr · Post by **UFGirlluvr** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 2:52 pm

My brother used to complain all the time when he was at UNF about Duval County drying out. I saw somewhere that they usually pull at least 6 billion worth of crops out of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky.

annarborgator · Post by **annarborgator** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 2:56 pm

I don't know about the market growing that much...I would venture to guess that 90% of the people who would/want to smoke it...already do.

You may be right. I was thinking more about growth in the product and how its used; right now it's simply a plant that's not really processed much before consumption. I could see the market expanding due to producers coming up with new value-added products that are more refined and have more inputs than the current product. Value added products = more revenue from the same amount of pot.

annarborgator · Post by **annarborgator** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 3:00 pm

Just finished the article, and I found this quote interesting (the thought hadn't occurred at all to me):

The success of developed countries in stopping people smoking tobacco, which is similarly subject to tax and regulation, provides grounds for hope.

http://www.economist.com/printedition/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=13237193

And remember, tobacco is exponentially (if not infinitely) more addictive than weed. So it would stand to reason that as a society we should be able to teach people over time about the true risks of drugs without relying on the government to eradicate it (since they can't).

G8rMom7 · Post by **G8rMom7** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:33 pm

I really don't have a preference either way but I don't think it would add THAT much to the economy. Besides the gov't would probably end up taking it over to make sure it is "run" properly and legally, and we all know how good the gov't is at running businesses. There are a lot of industries that would need to grow along with it to pull us out of this funk.

TheTodd · Post by **TheTodd** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 6:27 pm

That's the thing about it Mom7, you can grow it in your back yard and it doesn't have to be processed like tobacco. So if they did legalize it, they wouldn't be able to control/tax it.

efbart · Post by **efbart** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 6:45 pm

How much do we spend every year tracking it down, arresting and jailing people, etc.

It's a win-win.

IHateUGAlyDawgs · Post by **IHateUGAlyDawgs** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 9:57 pm

Just finished the article, and I found this quote interesting (the thought hadn't occurred at all to me):

The success of developed countries in stopping people smoking tobacco, which is similarly subject to tax and regulation, provides grounds for hope.
http://www.economist.com/printedition/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=13237193

And remember, tobacco is exponentially (if not infinitely) more addictive than weed. So it would stand to reason that as a society we should be able to teach people over time about the true risks of drugs without relying on the government to eradicate it (since they can't).

I'd amend that to cigarettes are more addictive. I smoke, on occassion, cigars and pipe tobacco. Neither of which am I addicted to...I smoke probably once a week during social occassions. I also was never really addicted to weed as evidenced by my putting it down and walking away from it. Cigarettes I never smoked, but I think there's enough science out there to show the addictiveness of them.

annarborgator · Post by **annarborgator** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 10:00 pm

Fair enough...I feel like cigars/pipes affect folks less because so much less smoke is actually inhaled.

TheTodd · Post by **TheTodd** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 3:18 pm

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1884956,00.html?iid=digg_share

TheTodd · Post by **TheTodd** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 3:18 pm

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/State_of_Oregon_may_grow_tax_0312.html

annarborgator · Post by **annarborgator** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 4:24 pm

The likelihood seems to increase by the day that there will be progress made on this front...here's hoping Oregon and California do a good job and can serve as models for better regulation of pot.

annarborgator · Post by **annarborgator** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:51 pm

An unarmed GVSU student was shot in his apartment this week when the pigs decided it was time for target practice while executing a warrant on his apartment. Of course, the pig who shot the unarmed kid is currently on paid vacation.
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/03/derek_copp_is_name_of_grand_va.html

How much senseless violence does the drug war create? Way too much.

DocZaius · Post by **DocZaius** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 2:06 pm

You know, while I'm still on the fence about decriminalization, I wholeheartedly support an end to military-style raids like the one that cost this guy his life. There's got to be some kind of accountability.

annarborgator · Post by **annarborgator** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 8:26 pm

It seems like absurd force that unnecessarily undermines the perceived legitimacy of government. I can understand if there's evidence that shows there are guns on the premises--cops do need to have the ability to protect themselves from heavily armed drug runners and such...but too many are cowboy situations where folks want to squeeze off a few rounds. If it's a college student dealing out of his apartment to his friends to make some money during school, I really can't see the need. Ridiculous, IMO.

DocZaius · Post by **DocZaius** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 12:35 pm

"No-knock" warrants and SWAT-team raids are supposed to be reserved for dangerous situations or where exigent circumstances exist (safety of house occupants, evidence will be destroyed, etc.). The problem is that the police can almost ALWAYS make a case that exigent circumstances may exist - particularly with destruction of evidence.

And then, don't get me started with residents who defend themselves and end up shooting at the cops. There was that little old lady in Atlanta a few years ago (the cops just got convicted and sentenced for shooting her and then trying to cover it up by planting drugs in her house).

Then, there's this poor guy in Mississippi, who - understandably - thought that his home was being burglarized when he was awakened in the middle of the night to a loud crash. He armed himself and ran to his daughter's bedroom, when he plugged the first person to come through the bedroom door.

Unfortunately, it was a cop. Even more unfortunately, this guy was convicted of murder.

The police, acting on an anonymous tip, had obtained a warrant to raid BOTH halves of the duplex in which he lived - even though they didn't suspect that he was a dealer. They suspected they guy who lived in the other half of the duplex.

Let it be known that self-defense is a viable option for all - unless the guy coming through the door is a cop. Or unless you happen to be black and living in Mississippi. Then, you're nothing but a murderer.

TheTodd · Post by **TheTodd** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 7:51 am

There was an older man, black, here in Jax that saw two guys in front of his place. Suspecting they were drug dealers he came at them with a shotgun to get them to leave. They were undercover cops that gunned him down.