Also, while I appreciate bringing in op-ed pieces from outside publications, particularly those as respected as TIME, I have a few counter-arguments to Mr. Klein's article. They follow.
- If marijuana has successfully become the largest cash crop in California despite it's illegal status, it stands to reason that these farmers are pretty good at flying under the radar, and will be none too friendly to the idea of taxation. I wonder what happens to the supply of Californian marijuana when this tax is applied. People who are willing to illegally grow and distribute an illegal substance are probably not going to play fairly on taxation. While drug reform is surely necessary, the IRS will be spending a serious amount of time and money on tax issues related to marijuana, in the event of legalization. This will in turn counteract a portion of the fiscal benefits, as will the regulation and administration of the new "industry" that it would create. This leads me to believe that the "miracle economic stimulus" of marijuana is over hyped.
- Alternatively, suppose instead of shrinking the supply of marijuana, legalization leads to a proliferation of growth, which would probably have some serious agricultural and environmental impact. I'm just pulling that out of my ass, but it seems plausible.
I wanted to address these two points with my own thoughts.
Your first point. It will be a new industry and all new industrys are hard to regulate, this is no reason to fear it. I do agree the stimulus of marijuana is probably over-hyped, but I believe theres far more government waste fighting it then there would be regulating it. Many, many people will oblige to this taxation simply to step within the boundaries of whats legal and not. There will be those who still grow it untaxed at home, simply because weed is a freakin weed and grows like one. But thats whats beautiful about the plant, its not something that the cigarette companies could control, very well at least. And now I move to my next point,
yes, theres a good chance of proliferation. But that would ease the demand of shipping it in, and its so basic anyone could do it in their backyard. Now with marijuana comes hemp as well. Hemp is the plant that can save the world, its probably the MOST ecologically friendly plant out there. Your worried about environmental impact? Hemp could replace logging for paper pulp, wipe out cotton fields which use massive amounts of pesticide every year. Hemp grows on contaminated soil and requires low fertilizer.
I feel there will be negative effects of legalization, but that the positive effects would far outweigh them and its far more costly to society as a whole to fight something a large majority of the population either uses or has tried.
Now, I would like to propose the question, how does personal use of marijuana affect anyone else in anyway? I genuinely am interested in the oppositions opinion here. Do not reply with, "oh, the smoke..." go ask the smokers to politely go do it somewhere else, stoners are friendly people and will probably oblige.
Yaa mon, da budz wai bettah upindah PNW mon~