messagewritten by: Jessica Smith Nov. 24, 08
Is America losing out because they are refusing to legalize marijuana? America is spending way to much money on law enforcement tactics to try and control the use and sale of marijuana on the black market. The war on drugs is an expensive battle. Why not legalize marijuana and save money on law enforcement and make some money at the same time? That’s a lot of taxpayer’s money going to waste, especially when the government is hurting for money as it is. The government cannot currently collect taxes on illegal drugs. If marijuana was legalized in the United States the government would be able to charge taxes on it as well as make people buy permits to buy, sell, or grow marijuana. Charging taxes and charging for permits could make the government a substantial amount of money to pay off debts, go towards new technology, and schools or learning centers. Legalizing marijuana could also produce many jobs in the United States for people seeking employment. There are many people out there who know how to grow and take care of marijuana plants which could create money sources for the government. When considering legalizing marijuana there are many economic, health, and social issues that we must analyze.
According to www.marijuanahydro.com, in the average year 400,000 people are arrested for some type of marijuana charge and the majority of those marijuana smokers are law abiding and productive citizens. We need to realize that by keeping marijuana illegal it is making criminals out of harmless people. Adults have demonstrated over the last several decades that marijuana can be used moderately without harmful impacts to the individual or society. Keeping marijuana illegal is also costing millions of dollars. This money is being lost by having to pay for police enforcement to track down people associated with marijuana, instead of them worrying about tracking down rapists, or murderers. The costs are also going toward court systems, housing in jails and prisons for people who have been caught dealing with marijuana. Marijuana being illegal makes foreign cultivation and smuggling to the United States extremely profitable, sending billions of dollars overseas in an underground economy. The United States would have a better handle on marijuana, make and save money if marijuana were to be legalized. If the government made people pay for permits to grow and sell under specific guidelines, it would create revenue for them.
According to www.scribd.com, marijuana sale for recreational use has a potential to produce tax revenue equal to, or more tax revenue than alcohol produces and would relieve economic costs that it has on law enforcement economics. Marijuana sale can significantly increase the farm real estate as well as increase the agriculture industry. On www.Economic.about.com, The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition Report shows that replacing prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation would save $7.7 billion per year in state and federal expenditures on prohibition enforcement and produce a tax revenue minimum of at least $2.4 billion annually if taxed like most consumer goods. However, if marijuana is taxed like alcohol or tobacco it could generate as much as $6.2 billion annually. If the excessive profits for marijuana sales were ended through legalization there would be less incentive for teens to sell it to one another. Prohibition has failed to control the use and domestic production of marijuana. The government has tried to use criminal penalties to prevent marijuana use and yet, marijuana is still used by millions of people annually. Cannabis is currently the largest cash crop in America, and marijuana is grown all over the planet.
According to a study done by The Institute of Medicine, conclusions released in 1999. They found the following to be true. Marijuana can alleviate nausea and vomiting that are associated with side effects of chemotherapy. It can improve the loss of dramatic weight associated with AIDS. Marijuana also alleviates chronic pain. Www.marijuanahydro.com shows that over 30 million people in the United States currently smoke marijuana regularly to unwind, relieve stress, for fun, and to assist in meditation. Makes People more conscious of the present moment and enhances awareness on all levels. The medical reasons smoking marijuana can be for many such as suffering from AIDS, cancer, chronic pain, glaucoma, and stomach ailments. Marijuana is an inexpensive treatment for their conditions. Www.2.hawaii.edu shows that there has never been one death resulting from direct marijuana intake. In order for an overdose you would need to smoke 40,000 times the amount needed to become stoned. In a report The Economics of Cannabis legalization by Dale Gieringer, he suggests that demand for marijuana would likely go up after legalization. However, he does not see this as a bad thing, as it may cause some to switch from more harmful drugs to marijuana. According to www.scribd.com, in a side by side comparison of marijuana and alcohol, alcohol has a much longer list of negative or more negative aspects than marijuana. Recreational alcohol consumption has caused a statistically and significantly larger amount of deaths compared to marijuana.
In conclusion, the marijuana plant can change many things if legalized. The marijuana plant not only produces a drug but also a strong fiber that is used to manufacture linen, paper, canvas, and rope. Legalizing marijuana can save money, and make money for the United States. Legalizing marijuana helps those who need it for medical reasons, especially those who can’t afford insurance and can’t get insurance. It also creates many jobs for those who are unemployed and in need. Legalizing marijuana is what that needs to be done to help the United States economy.
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jessica smith started this discussion on Nov 15, 2008
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deana finley replied on Nov 16, 2008
Oh wow! I am so happy someone has some actual facts to support this effort! I have been searching for such data myself but I barely have time to log on and check my mail let alone study up for a report! Thank you for making such an intelligent arguement for our side… (instead of doing like most posters and typing like they talk on the streets). I too have medical reasons for smoking, though sometimes nothing helps at all, I have horrible migraines and if stress is what brings on the headache and I catch it before it gets too bad, then smoking enough just to relax and take the edge off after a long hard day can be a real lifesaver! I have seen people addicted to and abusing all kinds of drugs, and marijuana has never made someone get abusive and psychotic such as alcohol or crack/cocaine. Even cigarettes are more dangerous, though I could play devil’s advocate and say as soon as it’s made commercially, it will have just as many dangerous chemicals in it as tobacco now does…. Anyways, thanks for such a wonderfully supportive effort. Hopefully there are more intelligent people with valid arguements than there are people that just think “dat shit iz da bomb, so just make it legal so idiots like us can get high”
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Mark O'Keeffe replied on Nov 16, 2008
Hi,
At your invitation I joined your website because there needs to be intelligent discussion and debate on the legalization of marijuana.
However, since I joined your website, I have been the victim of abuse and personal attacks from some punk named Jared via email.
I did not join this site to get abused. Start policing and moderating your web forums. These so called “juggalos”, whatever that means, are DAMAGING our cause. GET RID OF THEM.
Thank you.
Mark O’Keeffe
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Jacob Pallen replied on Nov 17, 2008
Look, I am a 16 year old Juggalo. We aren’t a bad cause, at least those of us who aren’t putting our “wicked” stuff in here about it. Being a Juggalo is living by the Juggalo morals. Basically, anybody can be a Juggalo as long as you aren’t racist. Our morals are simply about how you shouldn’t judge others or put others down, and to support one another, I don’t feel this is the place to go into complete detail though. With the Juggalos we can get at least 1 Million+ more people to join this if we spread it enough. Personally, I don’t think this website is being spread enough because it’s a paid ad that’s found on MySpace. And don’t you think 100,000,000 is a rather big expectation? I could see maybe 10,000,000 or 25,000,000. But 100 million is really up there. And to my fellow Juggalos, they wouldn’t see us as defeating the purpose so much if we didn’t type like we’re drunk.
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Sheree Krider replied on Nov 18, 2008
Im with you 100%
http://www.whengovfailsus.spaces.live.com
http://www.usmjparty.com
http://www.myspace.com/smkrider
http://www.treatingyourself.com
http://www.nonorml.com
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nicholas patrick replied on Nov 20, 2008
hey man i dont care wut peole say bout dat good fine sticky herb the haters call marijuana it is not a drug man it is medicine in the state i live in (cali)
SO FUCK DA DEA FUCK DA POLICE I SMOKE WEED AND OTHER SHIT U GOT PROBLEMS CALL 818 641 0179 CAMACHO YOFUCK U AND YO MAMMA TOOOOOOOO
TRAVELING VICE LORD FOR LIFE FUCK LARRY HOOVER AND KING DAVID
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deana finley replied on Nov 20, 2008
Someone should review the posts and approve them before they are allowed be viewed by the public. Seriously, I don’t see how someone like Nicholas Patrick can help our cause in the least. He represents the reasons why our cause is illegal in the first place.
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Jason Desch replied on Nov 20, 2008
I have joined up for this petition, but the government will never legalize it for one simple reason. They are already making a ton of money off of it. The CIA and DEA import more drugs into this country than any foreign cartel. They make payoff money from the cartels so they have help getting it here. After it gets here and gets distributed, they arrest people and collect fines. Then the drugs they steal from the people they arrest are sold back to other dealers to be sold to someone else to get busted with and so on. It is a never ending revolving door of greed and power. We are all about to come under martial law soon, so I would put my interest in survival, not so much legalizing something that will never be legal anyway. I do apprciate the attempt, but what we should be doing is finding a way to eliminate the world banks’ control over our government and our people. We are not a democracy. We are owned labor slaves. China is intentionally poisoning goods they sell to us, and our government lets them do it. We are forced to give our children immunizations that cause retardation and sometimes death. Our water supplies are tainted with Sodium Fluoride which decreases the IQ (Calcium Fluoride is good, Sodium is bad). So many people are so concerned with who is going to win the stupid American Idol and the rigged elections and Super Bowl, they never take time to see what our government is really up to. Nobody wants to believe that they could be so cold, but look at history. All the nuclear testing, the testing of diseases on people without their knowing, and the newest rage…electronic harrassment and EMR poisoning. Brain tumors has just surpassed Leukemia as the #1 killer of kids in this country because of cellular and cordless phones. Where is the petition to stop these things? There won’t be one. Do you know why? Because the only way to stop all this is to ELIMINATE those responsible….namely our senate, congress, president, and the federal reserve. Please check out these websites for more truth…www.rense.com, www.infowars.com, and www.prisonplanet.com. watch some of the documentaries and prepare yourselves for what we’re up against.
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Jesus Hernandez replied on Nov 20, 2008
say wuz up im 16 and a proud pothead and i just wanna say U are so right on legalizing marijuana u make so much sence of thing in ur artical and i just want 2 tht alot of people say it kills ur brain cells and makes u retarted and that is alot of fucken bullshit cause iv been smokin since i was 7 and i pass all my classes wit Az…Bz….and even Cz but i may fail one class wit like a 67 but tht iz cuz im no good at Keyboarding class……..well iv said all i had 2 say i hope thiz makes a diffrence along wit ur bad ass artical……..L8TER
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Jesus Hernandez replied on Nov 20, 2008
oh and i have ADD tht deana finley is right but u have 2 c tht there is alot of stupid people out there tht just use the stuff 2 get high but….i just us the stuff 2 get high 2 and im not a gang member im not a thug or anything i just LOVE weed and LOVE 2 smoke it…thankz
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Natalie Martinez replied on Nov 20, 2008
well i’m i’m 19 and I’m a big smoker but i have a son and they tried to take him from me because i smoke its ridculous they couldn’t take him because there were no signs of anything wrong with hm the doctor even told them he was one of the healthiest babies she’d seen and he wasn’t even breast fed but ven though he was fine i have to be in all these programs with a bunch of crack heads because they say i have a problem and that smoking wee is equal to crack how is that?
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Mark O'Keeffe replied on Nov 20, 2008
Natalie,
You admit to being a big smoker and I know what that means. That means you are NOT discreet about it and you have probably smoked around your kid which is ONE OF THE DUMBEST THINGS YOU CAN DO!!!
Besides, you are just a kid yourself and have no business having sex until you are married. No wonder they want to take your kid away. Wake up and GROW UP.
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Natalie Martinez replied on Nov 20, 2008
THAT IS THE STUPIDESY FUCKING THING I’VE EVER HEARD I NEVER SMOKED INFRONT OF MY FUCKING KID I AM FUCKING MARRIED ESTUPIDO AND THE ONLY REASON THEY TRYING TO TAKE MY KID AWAY WAS CAUSE MY STUPID ASS MOTHER IN LAW CALLED AND MADE IT SOUND LIKE I WAS A FUCKING CRACK HEAD EVEN THE SOCIAL WORKER TOLD ME THAT THE ONLY REASON THEY HAD TO ALL OF THAT WAS CAUSE WEED WASN’T LEGAL AND NOT BECAUSE I’M A BAD PARENT IF ANYTHING THATS WHY THEY DIDN’T TAKE HIM AWAY SO I SUGGEST U FIGURE SHIT OUT BEFORE U GO AROUND TALKING UR BULL U MORON
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Mark O'Keeffe replied on Nov 20, 2008
Look how many f bombs you dropped. You love your kid but call him your effing kid??? I wouldn’t want you to be my mother. You don’t sound very loving, and that’s what your kid needs. If you are blowing your money on weed at age 19, then yes, you are a lousy parent.
OK, so you are married. Were you pregnant when you walked down the aisle? Tell the truth.
You obviously have anger management issues and I stand by my original reply to you: You are just a kid yourself. You don’t write intelligently, so why would anyone take you seriously? No wonder they want to take your kid away. Grow up.
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Natalie Martinez replied on Nov 20, 2008
listen boy i came here to legalize weed not to be told wether or not i’m a good parent u don’t have kids or else u’d kno how much it hurts to have ppl like u telling u things no i didn’t get married pregnant u jerk him and i have been together for a long time i didn’t come here to be talked smack to alcohol is legal and theres ppl that get drunk and hit there kids my son is in perfect conditions just because i smoke doesn’t make me a bad parent just because i’m young doesn’t make me a bad parent the point i was trying to get across to was that i work i take care of my son i clean i cook i do everything i have always had to do and weed never got in the way of that the only reason i have a problem right now is because it isn’t legal but my anger got the best of me and finally u kno what it hurt me to have my kid not u so u don’t kno and u don’t care so feel free to run ur mouth and by the way boy i grew up along time ago thats why i don’t go around making judgements on other ppl if i cussed u out is because u really need to realize that its not ur place to make comments like that i’m done with this shit if it isn’t about legalizing weed i don’t care
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deana finley replied on Nov 20, 2008
Ok… I give up. I may not be the smartest person in the room, but this is getting embarrassing. The people posting here will not help our cause, in fact they would just prove the other side right. So, I quit, I’m signing off the group. Thanks to the intelligent people for trying, but it’s hopeless when we have a bunch of retarded, illiterate, vulgar teenagers rooting us on.
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Mark O'Keeffe replied on Nov 20, 2008
Yes this thread is about legalization of marijuana. But You brought your personal baggage to this thread. You made your bed, so now you got to sleep in it. That’s part of GROWING UP. And you have a LOT OF GROWING UP TO DO.
Boy? LOL. I’m old enough to be your great grandfather.
And while you are at it, please learn how to read, write, speak and spell english properly. Your post are no better than those clown faces and nobody takes you seriously. You are hurting our cause to get marijuana legalised.
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Mark O'Keeffe replied on Nov 20, 2008
I’m almost tempted to join Deana Finley. She’s right.
The problem here is that this forum HAS NO MODERATORS. No mods, then maybe the webmaster either does not care, or he is a cop just trying to bolster his own twisted point.
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jessica smith replied on Nov 21, 2008
hey can we get back at the point at hand? We are here to try to legalize marijuana. Not to argue about who is a bad mother and who isnt. Arguing about things like that isnt going to help the cause, its just going to make it harder for us to prove the point that marijuana should be legal for several reasons. Go back to my original post and read it, that is the cause at hand that needs our attention and support as a whole.
