The recreational use of marijuana has been glamorized over the years by such on-screen duos as Cheech & Chong and Harold & Kumar, but is the drug everything that Hollywood makes it out to be? Then again, are we being hypocritical by allowing alcohol consumption but not cannabis usage? With passionate believers on both sides of the argument, it will be interesting to see what happens when the smoke clears.
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Dr. Sabet, would you please provide references for the following items in your recent post of objection, "if it where only so easy"? For example, you say, "marijuana use tripled among young adults" in the Netherlands since it's legalization, however I recall reading a report that said, "Marijuana use declined after legalization". Where did you get your figures? I notice you say, "among young adults". What % of the population is that? Assuming your statement is accurate, what is the ratio of "young" to "old" adults, and does the sum of the change in each group equal an increase, or a decline?
What is your basis, with references, for how the black market would remain intact post legalization, with heavy tax levies? Assuming you are right, does it even matter, since the "black market" would be about as harmful as pirating MP3's off the internet? The "organized crime" factor would be gone...
Where the heck do you get 160 BILLION in "social costs" for current policy? I'm dumbfounded
- Asemili
August 8, 2008 7:44AM
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I had such a good laugh reading Dr. Sabet's rebutal of NORML's economic reasons for legalizing Marijuana. A recent CNN story ( http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/08/08/pot.eradication /#cnnSTCTVideo) really sets it in perspective. In that story, agents cull several thousand marijuana plants from a national forest in California. They estimated the plants where worth 40 BILLION on the street (watch the video yourself. 40 BILLION). This is 1 single garden tucked away in the mountains in an isolated part of California. That probably represents less than 1% of all domestically grown pot. By that count, pot could be a trillion dollar industry. Why would the government want to keep sending that money to Mexican drug cartels and street gangs, who, in turn, use it to kill police offficers and incite violence? If I where the cops, I would be pushing for pot legalization real hard. They complain about all the violence, but they fuel it when their policy. Sensless.
- Asemili August 11, 2008 10:52AM
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Your CNN reads: "This garden's street value is an estimated $40 million, authorities said."
Get your M's & B's right. And does this really represent less than 1% of all domestically grown pot? Does your argument come w/ a scattergram?
Going back to CNN, this $40 MMMMMMillion dollar figure is adjusted to fit current STREET prices. If you'd read Dr. Sabet's article, you'd realize that if we legalized marijuana, the intrinsic cost would not be anywhere near $40million.
The $160billion social lost comes from lost productivity in and out of the workplace. When was the last time you contributed to society while you were high?
- MrZ750 September 2, 2008 6:32PM
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You are absolutely right. The CNN story is 40 million which obviously I heard the wrong # on. That does impact my argument slightly, but doesn't affect the main point - marijuana is a high yield industry that drug cartels profit off of, and then invest those profits back into inciting violence.
Regarding social loss, I am skeptical of the 160b figure, however, notwithstanding that, one would have to balance the "productivity loss" against the already socially destructive practice of career destruction & education impacts due to lost funding for getting caught with a joint.
Btw, how frequently do you contribute to society when your totally wasted at the bar? Same goes for MJ. Being high all the time will waste a life, but being high, say, after work, or part of a weekend when you aren't contributing to the economy is a different story.
- Asemili September 3, 2008 2:44PM
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I believe the $160,000,000,000.oo is the total cost of the WoDs, in fact I believe it may be even more. OH, that's per year. The last figure I heard quoted on the war against cannabis is $92,000,000,000.00. All this money for a failed policy. Amazing. And we just keep paying it.
- Ironman September 12, 2008 12:28PM
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When is the last time a drunk contributed to society when he/she was drunk?
- Ironman October 14, 2008 2:28PM
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If marijuana were legalized it would become WORTHLESS. Anybody who wants to can grow enough weed in their closet to last them the rest of their lives. It may take a few tries, but soon enough you could have the highest quality cannabis growing for very little cost. Many people would not want to hassle with this, so there would still be chances for commercialy grown bud. A rise in use. Sure, many people who don't use now would try it. Many of these people will like it, and continue. Many would not like it, and not continue to use it. WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL.
- Ironman October 14, 2008 2:46PM
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The last time I contributed to society while I was high? Yesterday.
You should have met me back before I quit drinking! Talk about a burden on society...
- lostlo October 24, 2008 11:00AM
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When was the last time the you contributed to society when you were drunk? Now, I'm not saying that you get drunk or ever take a drink of alcohol. My point is that legalizing marijuana will not lead to most users being high all the time. Most marijuana users are very discreet and use it appropiately, just like most alchohol users.
- csmith January 26, 2009 12:47AM
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I get high all day everyday and i'm one of the most highly functioning members of society, no pun intended, that you could ever hope to meet. I have a four year old daughter and a new baby boy on the way and yet somehow i manage to have an outstanding family life while enjoying Cannabis and still handling my responsibilities. Hmmm....sounds like you need to keep digging watson
- burnttwiggy March 5, 2009 8:58AM
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Learn to read..
We are here to save people from suffering in jail, correct the injustice, restore our rights as Americans, and basically help our fellow Americans. What is your point?
- Cherokee Fred hussein September 4, 2008 2:45AM
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If cannabis were legal it would loose all value to the criminal element. Crime involving cannabis sales would quickly cease. Those that are imprisoned for simple possession would be released. Cannabis could be taxed. Cannabis could be properly regulated,ie alcohol laws would apply. Cannabis sales to minors would become non-existant, ie no profit. Those that grow illegaly now could apply for a license to grow, and thus become legitimate business persons. People who sell illegaly now could apply for a cannabis retail sales license. A whole new industry would spring up, and everybody would profit. Labeling would show quality. Quality, and purity would be controled. There could be a warning label required. SMOKING cannabis could be hazerdous to your health. Vaporizing is recommended. Novice users, 3 inhales to start. If you have feelings of paranoia, anxiety, or panic take a shower, eat something. :) DO NOT DRIVE, OR OPERATE HEAVY MACHINERY when using. My point is that the only problem with cannabis is that it is ILLEGAL. Take that aspect away, and it is no longer a problem.
- Ironman October 15, 2008 8:08AM
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It’s the Economy, Stupid!
- From NORML
By National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws - Working to Reform Marijuana Laws
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Billions with a B
I have seen estimates as high as 100 billion for the total cost of the war on us Americans. This does not count the tax money that could be generated by legalization, regulation, and taxing. Calif. one state estimates tax revenue as high as two billion a year. For all fifty states should bring in around 50 billion a year that is a total of 150 billion to the good side if made legal. All we have to do is pay our representatives more money that the PACs to make it legal!! I'll kick in how much does a senator cost today?
- Cherokee Fred hussein August 24, 2008 5:19PM
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Oh, but there's more.
Sounds like we're spending a LOT of money policing weed. We're also spending a lot of money policing cocaine and ecstacy. Should we stop that too?
- MrZ750 September 2, 2008 6:21PM
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Not the issue
Cocaine, ecstacy, meph, heroin, etc aren't the issue here. There's politcal interest groups who do want to completely halt the war on drugs and legalize everything, but there is a large community that just wants the war on drugs to exclude pot, with the argument that it is miscatagorized as a schedule I substance, and less a danger than existing, legal rec drugs like alchohol and tobacco. Hard drugs like cocaine are widely agreed upon as destructive, whereas MJ is widely disagreed upon. The vast majority of those who do not want MJ legal tend to be conservatives, and the further "right" you go, the stronger the opposition.
- Asemili
September 3, 2008 3:00PM
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Yes we should make alll drugs legal (reply to Oh, but there's more
All drugs should be legal you cannot just say the poor mans bad drugs are illegal. How about all the rich mans drugs that are legal and kill 100.000 a year should they be make illegal? There is a certain percentage of people that are going to do stupid shit legal or illegal they will abuse them. So does that mean you put them all in jail? No its a social problem let the churches or others in the social ill business help them don't put them in jail that is stupid and it does more harm that the drugs.....
- Cherokee Fred hussein September 3, 2008 11:46PM
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