The following research got me thinking about the “evil weed”:
Legalizing marijuana in California would lower the price of the drug and increase use, study finds
The finding:
Legalizing the production and distribution of marijuana in California could cut the price of the drug by as much as 80 percent and increase consumption, according to a new study by the nonprofit RAND Corporation that examines many issues raised by proposals to legalize marijuana in the state.
As a social libertarian, I’m for the legalization of marijuana. And no, I’m not a user. As I see it, legalizing weed would be a “win” situation in many ways.
Win – Taxes would be generated by its sale, helping states to fund necessary services. Nothing wrong with that.
Win – By eliminating this front on the “war on drugs,” law enforcement resources could be freed up and put to better use. The war, after all, doesn’t seem winnable by an stretch of the imagination. As I see it, it is a huge waste of taxpayer money, police time, and prison space.
Win – The use of a recreational drug no more harmful than alcohol would be de-criminalized. People who simply like to relax and party/chill would no longer face stiff penalties for their choice of intoxicant.
Win – The drug would become an over-the-counter treatment for those who could benefit from its anti-nausea and pain-relieving properties.
But then, as the research pointed out, there could be a potential Lose. Use could increase dramatically. But what would that mean? Would a handbasket of hellish outcomes ensue? Would our economy grind to a halt?
Maybe not. The researchers made this estimation -
If prevalence increased by 100 percent, marijuana use in California would be close to the prevalence levels recorded in the late 1970s.
Hmm. Seems to me the 70′s weren’t a time of social chaos and depravity. Alice, the housekeeper on the Brady Bunch, was never caught smoking a blunt in the laundry room, or anything unthinkable like that! Yes, all those plaid, bell-bottom pants — we don’t want to ever go there again. But my guess is that the vast majority of non-users would stay non-users.
Of course, their are likely many other elements involved. Other ways California and other states could win or lose. But for the sake of personal freedom alone, I say let’s risk some loss for the sake of the wins.
July 13th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
I hate marijuana, not that I’ve ever smoked or eaten it. I am allergic to any kind of smoke; marijuana smoke is worse than cigarette smoke. As long as the laws which prohibit smoking in public places apply to marijuana as well; as long as kids receive information about how it’s not *good* for your lungs to smoke marijuana; as long as people who are high on pot are discouraged from driving, then I suppose the legalization is inevitable, so let the government make money and ease up on the inane drug war. In Colorado, we now have legal medical marijuana. There are 3 dispensaries in my hometown, all with cute names, one across from the public library. I would prefer it to be dispensed in existing pharmacies instead of by entrepreneurs. I’ve noticed marijuana being smoked on different front porches each time I walk at night through the town, which implies that perhaps the police have given up on enforcement. I really hate the stuff.
July 14th, 2010 at 8:30 am
Jude -
Good points. Because I haven’t encountered it in years, I hadn’t even thought of the smoke-in-public issue.
Personally, I think alcohol — something I do indulge in — is a more dangerous drug. At least in terms of its effect on behavior (such as driving).
And don’t get me going on cell phones while driving. “Just say ‘No’” to one-handed, distracted driving!