"The Web of Addiction"

**imported_elp6n** · January 15th, 2008, 09:22 AM

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Diets17</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Replacing marijuana prohibition with a system of legal regulation would save approximately $7.7 billion in government expenditures on prohibition enforcement -- $2.4 billion at the federal level and $5.3 billion at the state and local levels.

Revenue from taxation of marijuana sales would range from $2.4 billion per year if marijuana were taxed like ordinary consumer goods to $6.2 billion if it were taxed like alcohol or tobacco.

http://www.prohibitioncosts.org/
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Might work, if it wasn't so easy to just grow yourself. And then the government would have to have task forces that hunt down those that grow it but dont pay tax on it. It's much like with moonshiners. Alcohol is legal. But then the gov't hunts down the ones that are in violation of moonshine laws (boiling down to having alcohol that isn't taxed).

**burton2019** · January 15th, 2008, 10:15 AM

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Biggin</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
when you go to buy weed/sell weed, you are more likely to encounter other drugs, simple as that.

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I agree, but it is YOUR choice if choose to use other drugs. YOU have the choice. Too many people like to put the blame on something or someone else.

**gchsajs** · January 15th, 2008, 10:26 AM

I agree, just because you go buy weed and you see some guys poping kolanapins doesn't mean you have to also.

**sup-rbeast** · January 15th, 2008, 10:40 AM

Even if it was legalized and not taxed or produced by the government for consumption, we'd still save the cost of enforcing its prohibition, the cost of incarceration of those caught with it, knock out the drug dealer cuz then it would be FREE, and have a legal alternative to cocaine, heroin, prescription pills, and other substances that kill.

**imported_elp6n** · January 15th, 2008, 10:43 AM

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sup-rbeast</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Even if it was legalized and not taxed or produced by the government for consumption, we'd still save the cost of enforcing its prohibition, the cost of incarceration of those caught with it, knock out the drug dealer cuz then it would be FREE, and have a legal alternative to cocaine, heroin, prescription pills, and other substances that kill. </div></div>

That's not necessarily true
Its not legal right now becuase of taxation issues. People can grow it themselves and it can't be taxed that way.

While the costs may lessen they'll still exist.

Alcohol is legal but there still has to be the cost of enforcing that, and incarcerating those who distill illegally and shutting down operations that distill it illegally. An example: http://www.randlemanland.com/shine.html

If marijuana is made legal it would need the same enforcements that alcohol needs, and it's not free and there are still laws to enforce.

**sup-rbeast** · January 15th, 2008, 10:57 AM

Alcohol isn't free cuz the government doesn't want it to be. If marijuana was legalized but NOT PRODUCED by the government for consumption, there would be NO COST at all to the government. That would be like the government taxing a person for growing rhubarb..lol..just cuz the government is greedy doesn't mean it couldn't be legalized and not taxed.

**imported_elp6n** · January 15th, 2008, 10:59 AM

this is the government we're talking about.
(and you can be taxed on your rhubarb, technically)

**sup-rbeast** · January 15th, 2008, 11:21 AM

I know you can be taxed for anything...but if the gov. decided to just legalize and not produce for taxation, it still clears cases from courts, saves money from prohibition enforcement, saves money from the incarceration of individuals in jail cuz of weed, and provides an alternative to drugs that are way more dangerous to individuals and society than weed is.

**Biggin** · January 15th, 2008, 01:47 PM

but if go by a dime, and this dude has rock or a pill or somethin, and he offers it, it puts you where its right in your face.

and i dont care who you are, if someone holds a paper of heroin in your face, and you are tryin to get high, you'll do that heroin, even if you aint injecting it.