January 12, 2004
Helping with those Govm't Budgets
Number 5 on Alternet's list of the Top Ten Drug Stories of 2003 is this:
5) The FBI's annual Uniform Crime Report reveals that police arrested an estimated 697,082 persons for marijuana violations in 2002, or nearly half of all drug arrests in the United States. This amounts to one marijuana-related arrest every 45 seconds.Hmmm, I know this math isn't perfect but with a swag: decriminalize marijuana use and sales and then lay off 1/3 of local, state and federal law enforcement employees.The total number of marijuana arrests far exceeded the total number of arrests for all violent crimes combined, including murder, manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault.
Or, put them to work doing something that actually helps to protect our lives and property.
Additional fringe benefits: reduced load in judicial system and increased housing available in the prison system.
Posted by Steve on January 12, 2004I'd be comfortable with that. Then, maybe, we can take a more adult an honest approach to other drugs, too.
One other benefit from this would be a new tax stream, too. Tax marijuana cigaretts and bulk marijuana at the same rates as similar amounts of tobacco. Not that I'm a big fan of new taxes, but to leave it untaxed would probably be unreasonable given that nearly every other controlled substance has some level of taxation associated with it.
Heheh. It might even help employment rates since marijuana farms would need to be set up. Another thing that it might do is reduce the need for Coast Guard interdiction and the like--freeing up money and personell for more important security issues.
Posted by zombyboy at January 12, 2004 1:02 PMSadly, you are probably right that the first step will have to include some form of regulation/taxation.
But I will accept that in lieu of the current disastrous state of affairs.
Posted by Steve at January 12, 2004 3:21 PM
