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I'm going to vent a little here and go on a serious rant: Too much lately among friends and acquaintances in social events have I heard the statement "I am all for legalizing marijuana so that the government can tax it".
What exactly is the basis or reason for this statement? What's the logic behind this? When I ask people to explain why, they really don't have a real answer. Some say it's because we're $14 Trillion in debt and we need to find ways to pay it off. Here's my response:
1. The Government has no right to tell me what I can or cannot do with my own life and body. If I want to smoke pot, do hard drugs, I should be able to do so as long as I don't infringe upon the rights and liberties of someone else. Even if my decision is a bad one that leads to harmful health effects or even death...it is still my decision to make and I have to live with the consequences.
Counter argument to the statement: "But if you get in a car and drive while high you could kill someone and that's not fair to whoever you run over". That's fine, but you can prosecute those who do that after they've gotten into a vehicle while high or stoned or drunk. You can't punish me for something I might do. Everyone might commit a crime someday...should we lock everyone up just in case?
2. The Government has no right to take my money, it's not theirs, it's mine. The notion that some people I run into have is that the government has a right to our wealth. That's what we've been brainwashed to believe growing up in this nation. They don't have a right, the founding fathers didn't think England had a right to it, and for over a hundred years this nation operated just fine without collecting income tax.
3. Why do we need to tax it when the Government would be saving us billions a year by legalizing drugs? (yes us, you and me, government money is our money, government debt is our debt) The current "War on Drugs" costs tax payers over $1 Billion a year to fight and the illegal drug trade industry currently stands strong as a $100 Billion industry. Not only that, it costs the government (you and me) between $20,000-40,000 a year PER PRISONER to incarcerate someone for drug related charges. Considering there's roughly 30% of the current prison population in for drug related "offenses", think about how much you'd save in addition to the $1 Billion a year?
And there's people out there who think the government needs to TAX IT after all of that? I respect people's opinion and try to keep an open mind, but if you're going to preach approval for a government to take my money for no basis whatsoever then I take offense to it.
Lets start with some simple basics.
1 , you cannot control human behavior thru legislation. You may be able to pursuade it a tiny bit , but never control it. If you could , we would not need prisons , just laws.
2 , you are correct, how you choose to intoxicate yourself should be a decision made by you , not drunks in washington.
3, 70% of cartells income comes from reefer. Take away the demand by letting americans grow there own , and cartells are out of business.
4, the minute anyone brings it up oponants always bring up the driving while high bit. No one is advocating driving while high anymore then they are driving while drunk. Being able to drive high is not what the debate is about.
That being said, reefer is already too expensive. Screw legalization and taxation , just decriminalize it like Massachuetts did.
Great rant!
It is especially hypocritical when our own government is making profits from MANUFACTURED LEGAL DRUGS and opiate farms in Afghanistan all while funding International Banks. Please wake up, people.
LEGALIZE NATURE
"Drug death rates are currently more than twice what they were during the peak years of crack cocaine mortality in the early 1990s, and four to five times higher than the rates during the year of heroin mortality peak in 1975". Legal Drugs are the main culprit.
Where is the outrage? When crack-cocaine use was in its peak years, entire cities were destroyed by massive imprisonment and the nonsensical 100 to 1 rule. It is time for a crackdown on pharmaceutical companies and doctors blindly prescribing medication simply for a cutback. It is time for the legalization and expanded medical treatment of marijuana.
On top of that what one does in the privacy of his own home is nobodys damn business. That being said , dont ask me to pay your rent ( section 8) and buy your food ( food stamps ) when your spending what little cash you have getting high.
On top of that what one does in the privacy of his own home is nobodys damn business. That being said , dont ask me to pay your rent ( section 8) and buy your food ( food stamps ) when your spending what little cash you have getting high.
I understand what you're saying, and I've heard that argument as well, but more in the form of "You shouldn't be allowed to get high because when your life goes to hell financially it's my tax money that ends up paying your overdose medical bills and welfare."
That is a whole different problem altogether and I'm against government welfare and tax money being used to pay for other's medical care.
However, there's people who use credit cards to rack up a ton of debt and get help from the government to pay that off, so why don't we make a law against using credit cards, all in the name of those few who ruin for everyone?
Makes sense based on that logic....right?
Again, don't punish me and take away my right to choose based on the negative things OTHER people have done. I'm my own person and I am in control of my own life.
Methinks that the lobby which represents makers of heavily taxed legal, recreational substances such as smokes and booze, would be none too accepting of an untaxed, legal, recreational substance.
Methinks that the lobby which represents makers of heavily taxed legal, recreational substances such as smokes and booze, would be none too accepting of an untaxed, legal, recreational substance.
That and the pharmaceutical industry. It is sad to see how many people become addicted to prescription drugs after being prescribed them for a legitimate pain. It is also sad to realize that marijuana would have been a much safer and healthier alternative had it been an option.
I suppose because corporations and the health care industry are raking in the rewards of addiction that the problem is marginalized. Not only would the legalization of marijuana lessen the amount of patients on dangerous legal drugs, it would open up an extremely profitable industry where entrepreneurship possibilities are endless. The positive effect this would have on our ever declining economy would be infinite.
I like smoking pot. There I said it. I am, according to some on this site, a right-wing crazy man. But I like a good puff once in a great while.
I enjoy it. I do not drive after smoking. I kick back and listen to tunes or watch a movie. Its not good for me, but I know that and am willing to pay the price.
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Great rant!
