Legal Commentary

CA Could Lead Our Way Out of the Depression: Legalize Marijuana

By Jeralyn

Times-Standard reporter Dave Santcliff writes that California could lead the nation out of the depression by legalizing marijuana:

Right now Californians pay $170 million a year for arrests, prosecution and imprisonment of pot offenders, according to statistics released from NORML. Poof! That would go up in smoke, and reduce the prison population as well.

Right now there's talk among lawmakers of an early release program for as many as 58,000 prisoners in the next couple of years because of overcrowding and fiscal shortfalls. There are plenty of good reasons to support AB 390.

As It Stands, it's time to legalize marijuana and jumpstart California's sagging economy into the 21st century.

[More...] On a related topic, Steven Greenhut in the East Valley Tribune, an Arizona paper, says the only way to end the drug violence across the Mexican border is to legalize marijuana.

[I]t’s the illegality of drugs that makes them so lucrative, and which assures that only the most vicious gangsters will thrive as the price goes ever higher. Even those Americans who see Mexico merely in terms of illegal immigration ought to broaden their horizons. If the lawlessness down south isn’t reduced, pressure will increase for immigration, legal or otherwise, as more Mexicans seek refuge from the violence outside their doors.

Americans need to stop being so childish about drug issues. Yes, drugs are bad, but some people will always use them. Government cannot stop this desire, and government interdiction efforts only succeed in raising the price of the contraband, which leads to an even bigger reason to violently fight it out over the market. It provides the money needed to buy off cops and corrupt an entire justice system.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on March 09, 2009 (boomark / email).