Article from For Liberty by Norm Leahy.
Numerous state and local governments are hoping Congress will ride to the rescue of their broken budgets. House Democrats are certainly on board, proposing nearly a trillion dollars in aid to state and local governments.
But here’s a different idea that doesn’t require bailouts, and can generate revenues – and create jobs – for years to come: getting more states to legalize marijuana. The Reason Foundation’s Geoffrey Lawrence writes the idea could not only plug leaky budgets but achieve substantial criminal justice reform at the same time:
Conservatives who have historically opposed marijuana legalization should reconsider that position. The 11 states that have already legalized, plus 33 states with medical marijuana programs, have shown they can tightly control and regulate marijuana inventory — as they do with alcohol. These states, which span the political spectrum, have not seen an increase in youth use and have been able to, at least partially, displace black-market actors.
Conservatives intuitively understand that black markets are dangerous, but they emerge whenever legitimate retailers are not able to sell legal goods. The same arguments conservatives tend to make against gun control are equally applicable to marijuana prohibition.
According to the Tax Foundation, revenues from legalized marijuana may not fil all of a state government’s fiscal needs right away, but can become a part of a long-term revenue fix. The key is for governments not to get greedy:
…the regulatory and tax structure right as brick-and-mortar dispensaries will be competing with black and gray markets, and setting tax rates too high could keep consumers in untaxed markets.
Image Credit: By Chmee2 (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
This article is total nonsense. Do any of you think for one minute people pushing this is going to tell you the truth zbout our youth and using Marijuana? I live in a state where its been legalized and the increase in our youth using it is staggering. Not to mention it destroys your drive to get up off your butt and get a job. I have seen children use this as a step up drug! We have an opiod crisis in this country and this drug can lead to that very slippery slope. Is this really the answer? More money for states at the risk of our youth? I think not! Let these Mayors and Governors that encouraged riots and destruction of property find another way.
Betty, I have smoked it since I was a teenager, Never once did it make me want something harder. Get off your high horse, it is NOT a gateway drug. Only reason this is brought up is because some have Zero self control. It goes the SAME with Alcohol, start with Beer and they want a bigger drink so they venture to Liquor. Beer isn’t considered a gateway drink to hard liquor now is it? It is ALL about self control, Period. Marijuana is a healthy plant, used properly it has Many health benefits that to many people refuse to acknowledge. I use it for the pain I have from my arthritis and to aid in my sleep, plus my seizures. Maybe you should Actually look into it instead of focusing on talking points Against it’s use. Granted I’ll give you the point on kids using it, I wish I had waited till I was Out of school but I still graduated and held a full time job with great pay. I’m almost 60 now and disabled from way to many years of trucking, stress on my system from it causing heart issues, seizures, among other problems. As I suggested do some true research on the benefits of its use, you might be surprised…
I have an idea…. why don’t they just control their spending? I know it’s a novel idea…. but I hear it could work.