Assembly Bill 390 to benefit economy
As the World Burns
Soheil Rezaee
Issue date: 3/2/09 Section: Features
Stoners, libertarians and anyone with real cultural talent in California must be feeling joyful.
On Feb. 23, Assemblymen Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) introduced Assembly Bill 390, which, if passed, will legalize the recreational use, sale and taxation of marijuana.
Before I go any further, let's get the cliché, repetitive arguments out of the way: it's harmless, it's tolerated, it's no big deal. Such an issue will need a strong argument with real facts rather then a person's opinion. And no, the word "dude" will not be used in every sentence.
Ammiano's biggest case is that marijuana is a profitable industry. If it were legalized and taxed, it could help rebuild the state economy by creating much-needed new jobs.
Already there are communities in Northern California where medical marijuana farming is the biggest source of revenue. In some towns, it is two-fifths of the economy.
The legalization would boost their revenue and bring in funds to the state government. At the same time, it will establish new jobs needed to combat the rising unemployment rate.
Ammiano's argument is supported in a report released in 2005: "The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition," published by the Department of Economics at Harvard University.
Five hundred economists have supported the report, including Milton Friedman.
Since 1972, Friedman has argued that legalizing marijuana would reduce crime and remove a pointless burden on local law enforcement. California prisons are already overcrowded due to individuals charged with marijuana-related crimes. It should be noted that Friedman is one of the most influential economists of the modern age and has been awarded the Nobel Prize in economics.
Another strong, yet surprising, opponent of the prohibition of marijuana is the late conservative intellectual William F. Buckley Jr. In the last years of his life, Buckley strongly attacked the prohibition in the National Review, referring to it as an expensive mistake that has caused more harm then the actual product itself.
On Feb. 23, Assemblymen Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) introduced Assembly Bill 390, which, if passed, will legalize the recreational use, sale and taxation of marijuana.
Before I go any further, let's get the cliché, repetitive arguments out of the way: it's harmless, it's tolerated, it's no big deal. Such an issue will need a strong argument with real facts rather then a person's opinion. And no, the word "dude" will not be used in every sentence.
Ammiano's biggest case is that marijuana is a profitable industry. If it were legalized and taxed, it could help rebuild the state economy by creating much-needed new jobs.
Already there are communities in Northern California where medical marijuana farming is the biggest source of revenue. In some towns, it is two-fifths of the economy.
The legalization would boost their revenue and bring in funds to the state government. At the same time, it will establish new jobs needed to combat the rising unemployment rate.
Ammiano's argument is supported in a report released in 2005: "The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition," published by the Department of Economics at Harvard University.
Five hundred economists have supported the report, including Milton Friedman.
Since 1972, Friedman has argued that legalizing marijuana would reduce crime and remove a pointless burden on local law enforcement. California prisons are already overcrowded due to individuals charged with marijuana-related crimes. It should be noted that Friedman is one of the most influential economists of the modern age and has been awarded the Nobel Prize in economics.
Another strong, yet surprising, opponent of the prohibition of marijuana is the late conservative intellectual William F. Buckley Jr. In the last years of his life, Buckley strongly attacked the prohibition in the National Review, referring to it as an expensive mistake that has caused more harm then the actual product itself.
Viewing Comments 1 - 8 of 9
Jose
posted 3/02/09 @ 3:47 PM PST
Prohibition may be harmful to society at large, but it has been very profitable to certain special interests such as lawyers. One big problem is most politicians are lawyers. (Continued…)
K
posted 3/02/09 @ 11:02 PM PST
MARIJUANA GROWS UP TO 20 FEET A YEAR...REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING...REDUCE GLOBAL DISEASE THROUGH INCREASED OXYGEN...WHILE CONSUMING CO2...GROW WEED EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!
elias
posted 3/03/09 @ 5:17 PM PST
i am a ptient and i think its great that this law may pass and yes grow weed everywhere
Matt
posted 3/07/09 @ 11:31 PM PST
I agree, legalise weed, grow it everywhere. It will make a huge profit for the government (about $40 billion pear year) and it will make everyone happy! I hope they pass this bill and I hope Australia follows the example. (Continued…)
jesus
posted 3/09/09 @ 5:45 PM PST
GOD DAMN HIPPIES jk
Barrett Archer
posted 3/16/09 @ 4:42 AM PST
It's time to end the foolishness of prohibition. Make California strong again!
Zach
posted 3/24/09 @ 3:43 AM PST
The federal government should realize that the war on marijuana, that they've been waging for decades, has accomplished nothing but spending billions of dollars on pointless incarcerations, that if reversed could generate billions of dollars and jobs that this country is in serious need of, to get us out of the huge economic slump that our own government got us into. (Continued…)
stony delany
posted 7/03/09 @ 9:19 PM PST
the age should be 18... but it would still a HUGE leap forward
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