Legalize it!

"Prohibition has two effects: on one hand it raises supplier costs, disrupts market functioning and prevents open promotion of the product; on the other, it sacrifices the authorities’ ability to tax transactions and regulate operation of the market, product characteristics and promotional activity of suppliers."---Stephen Pudney, Director of the Institute for Social and Economic Research

This fall's November mid-term elections won't just be fascinating due to the influx of the Tea Party and the reaction by voters to Health Care Reform. So far, most of the media's attention has been focusing on whether the Democrats will be able to hold either house of congress. Obviously, the sturm und drang of the Health Care Reform protests by the Tea Party has taken up most of the coverage with the volume (both kinds) of their dissent. But don't sleep on the California ballot initiative that would fully decriminalize marijuana in the golden state. The result of the measure could be the most fascinating--and significant--outcome.

The argument for ending the prohibition of marijuana has been gathering steam for a few years now. Pot is already legal in 14 states for medicinal use, and the Department of Justice has decided not to aggressively pursue enforcement or convictions based 0n possession. Both of which make a lot of sense. The question that is now before the citizens of California will be: Do they take it one step further?

Well, I hope that they do. The benefits far outweigh the cons. In fact, I would argue that there are very few negatives beyond the psychological, "Oh, we're all going to hell in a hand basket" if we make dope legal. Because here's the thing: Americans love their weed, and you're not going to stop them from hitting the bong. In 2007, it was estimated that between 143-190 million U.S. citizens smoked weed on at least an occasional basis. That's pretty widespread, and the best argument I can think of against prohibition. Why? Because it simply doesn't work. We tried that once with alcohol and how did that work out?

Now, at this point I should probably make it clear: I am no pot head. I have tried it on occasion, but not once in nearly 15 years. I was never particularly good at it in the first place. I never learned how to inhale properly, so I typically just ended up with a dry throat, red eyes, and a sore chest for my efforts. There was one instance where I ate two hash cookies and felt like I was hanging by my toes from a malfunctioning Ferris Wheel for about four hours. Needless to say, I never did that again. So, I'm not suggesting that anyone should use marijuana. Besides not being particularly healthy, as Sam Jackson put it to Bridget Fonda in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown: "That shit's gonna rob you of your ambition." To which she replied: "Not if your ambition is to get high and watch T.V."

In other words, I stand by the idea that getting high is a bad thing. I know some subscribe to the "Gateway Theory" that states that marijuana leads to harder drugs. However, the results of major studies vary from inconclusive to outright opposition to the theory. As far as how damaging it is to your brain, the Clinical EEG Journal (published by the EEG Clinical Neuroscience Society) found that alcohol is far more harmful to your grey matter than weed. So, its time to see marijuana for what it is: A recreational vice on a lower tier than alcohol. And if alcohol is legal, well you can see where I'm going with this.

There are also real economic, legal, and medical benefits to legalization too.

An analysis done by the California NORML group found that a one dollar excise tax on a half gram joint would raise one billion dollars in revenue. Retail taxes could generate $250-400 million more, and the industrial hemp business could grow to rival the $3.4 billion cotton industry. Of course, NORML is in favor of legalizing the cheeba, so their numbers may represent a best case scenario. However, there is no doubt that if they are close with their digits that legalization would create a multi-billion dollar industry that would be a boon to state coffers as well as create many new jobs.

Also, the increased trade with pot producing countries would help stabilize third world economies and curb illegal immigration by creating a new business sector in poor countries. Think of what it would do for Mexico.

As well, it's probably safe to say that the "War On Drugs" has been largely ineffective and poorly administered. In 2008, 49.8% of all drug related arrests were due to marijuana related crimes. Of the 840,000 incarcerations, 750,000 were for simple possession without the intent to sell. Many of these end users have fallen prey to the "Three Strikes" law which requires long mandatory prison sentences for a conviction of a three time felon. This has resulted in a 2:1 ratio of non-violent vs. violent offenders in our prisons. Most of these non-violent criminals are drug users, not dealers. That means we have twice as many addicts/users as murderers, rapists, and kidnappers combined in our already overcrowded penal system. Does this make sense to anyone?

Legalization would also reduce the burdens on our judicial system and police force. Currently, we spend $156 million a year enforcing marijuana possession and distribution laws. We plug up our courts and have cops chasing after stoners. It seems to me their time would be better served tracking down the worst of the worst.

Even more mystifying is the resistance by 36 states to marijuana for medical use. Mary Jane is one of the most effective pain relievers available. It has yielded good results for patients who suffer from migraines, chemotherapy, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, tourette's, as well as the terminally ill. Can anyone tell me with a straight face that marijuana is worse than xanax or paxil? Or, how about valium or vicodin? Not bloody likely. Who in the world would deny a marijuana prescription for the terminally ill? It's not only ridiculous, but inhumane.

Going back to the discussion of alcohol vs. pot, I have some real life experience with this. I spent nine years of my adolescence with an alcoholic. And let me tell you, I would have much rather come home to a burnt out stoner-couch potato, licking his cheeto stained fingers in his boxers than that of a mean drunk. Hands down.

Of course, I'm not suggesting that we make alcohol illegal again. Far from it. As I said before, it doesn't work. But if you want to compare which drug is more destructive, I don't think it's even close. Besides, isn't it time to give up on a strategy that hasn't worked and shows no signs of ever doing so? Isn't it time to give up on failure? Shouldn't we go ahead and do what the late, great reggae artist Peter Tosh advocated in the 70's and "Legalize it!" Then, maybe we could move on to more important stuff. Of which, there is no short supply.

Sumo-Pop
April 11, 2010