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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHundreds of Economists: Marijuana Prohibition Costs Billions, Legalization Would Earn Billions
Posted by Ezekiel Edwards, Criminal Law Reform Project & Rebecca McCray, Criminal Law Reform Project at 4:29pm
Over 300 economists, including three Nobel Laureates, recently signed a petition that encourages the president, Congress, governors and state legislatures to carefully consider marijuana legalization in America. The petition draws attention to an article by Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron, whose findings highlight the substantial cost-savings our government could incur if it were to tax and regulate marijuana, rather than needlessly spending billions of dollars enforcing its prohibition.
Miron predicts that legalizing marijuana would save $7.7 billion per year in government expenditure on enforcement, in addition to generating $2.4 billion annually if taxed like most consumer goods, or $6 billion per year if taxed similarly to alcohol and tobacco. The economists signing the petition note that the budgetary implications of marijuana prohibition are just one of many factors to be considered, but declare it essential that these findings become a serious part of the national decriminalization discussion.
The advantages of marijuana legalization extend far beyond an opportunity to make a dent in our federal deficit. The criminalization of marijuana is one of the many fights in the War on Drugs that has failed miserably. And while it's tempting to associate only the harder, "scarier" drugs with this botched crusade, the fact remains that marijuana prohibition is very much a part of the battle. The federal government has even classified marijuana as a Schedule 1 substance (its most serious category of substances), placing it in a more dangerous category than cocaine. More than 800,000 people are arrested for marijuana use and possession each year, and 46 percent of all drug prosecutions across the country are for marijuana possession. Yet this costly and time-consuming targeting of marijuana users by law enforcement and lawmakers has done little to quell use of the drug.
The criminalization of marijuana has not only resulted in a startlingly high number of arrests, it also reflects the devastating disparate racial impact of the War on Drugs. Despite ample evidence that marijuana is used more frequently by white people, Blacks and Latinos account for a grossly disproportionate percentage of the 800,000 people arrested annually for marijuana use and possession. These convictions hinder one's ability to find or keep employment, vote or gain access to affordable housing. The fact that these hard-to-shake consequences bad enough as they are are suffered more frequently by a demographic that uses marijuana less makes our current policies toward marijuana all the more unfair, unwise and unacceptable.
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https://www.aclu.org/blog/criminal-law-reform/hundreds-economists-marijuana-prohibition-costs-billions-legalization-would
limpyhobbler
(8,244 posts)Our government officials don't have time for this kind of nonsense. To work this would need to be delivered to congress with a big bag of money.
People who want legal marijuana, is there someway we could try to be more like the NRA? They seem to have a lot of pull in the gov't.
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)A more foolproof method of figuring out what's going on has yet to be devised than following the damn money.
Once you find out who profits financially from prohibition then you'll know who is keeping it in place.
Edited for speling.
Ruby the Liberal
(26,219 posts)marlakay
(11,491 posts)But interesting ad based just on the facts of this. I think no young people should be in it, older business people in suits, explaining to everyone "the real reason" pot is illegal.
Has nothing to do with partying, getting high, it's bad for you, it drives you to other drugs...last two are lies we know.
But I would put out a ad stating just the facts. Over and over again like how Fox does with it's viewers until it sinks in.
The real reason pot is illegal is companies are making big money keeping it that way!
Maybe start the ad in a conference room with the heads of big pharma, prison unions, police unions, alcohol and tobacco all in one room talking about the latest strategy for keeping pot illegal and have them laugh at how much they are making off of it...
DiverDave
(4,887 posts)This is another in a long line of study's that will be ignored by the powers that be.
The prison/law enforcement community simply cannot give up the BILLIONS of dollars that, since ainslinger, have been thrown at a harmless substance.
The fact it is racist is just a bonus for these power mad thugs.
Scuba
(53,475 posts).... which helps explain why it doesn't happen.
Then look at...
Money local law enforcement gets...
Who's profiting from the private prison industry, and to whom they donate....
Who's using that prison labor to drive down wages (hint: Republican Senator Ron Johnson, WI).
The will of the People gets trumped by the money of the masters.
felix_numinous
(5,198 posts)Here's to hoping this issue reaches critical mass and the tide is turned in our favor. This is not only an economic issue, it is ecological, medical and a civil rights issue as well when you think about it.
If we could write it in on our ballots and vote for legalization ourselves, we would win.
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)who warned Obama about austerity budgets.
Unfortunately, this administration is listening to the one percent.
DiverDave
(4,887 posts)redqueen
(115,103 posts)Bribes from drug dealers!
Kickbacks!
Slush funds!
Response to n2doc (Original post)
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