cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Prohibition Only Helps Government





Marijuana Prohibition Only Helps Government
Posted by CN Staff on March 25, 2008 at 06:49:45 PT
By Greg Pivarnik
Source: Daily Campus
USA -- The battle to legalize marijuana has always been an issue in American culture and politics. However, due to inherent hypocrisies and misconceptions in the American government and public at large, there has never been enough political capital to repeal the unjust laws governing the drug's use. Legalization is the last step in a long process that would allow for unrestrained recreational use of a drug that would not, as many people fear, lead to the downfall of American society. When people sift through all the propaganda, they will find that the only people who benefit from marijuana prohibition is the government and big business, while the average American citizen is burdened with the negative effects.
From the first laws founded in racism against American immigrants, to the ignorance of scientific data that marijuana has legitimate medicinal uses, politicians and a drug prohibition lobby have been successful in perpetuating the fear of effects of marijuana, along with all other drugs, that the American public feeds on. However, this stance does not benefit the American public one iota. Instead of doing what is right, politicians fear the backlash and the stigma that coincide with the accusations of being soft on crime.Many states have begun to see the light and have passed laws allowing for medicinal marijuana uses, while others still seek to decriminalize its possession. This past week, Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts stated on the HBO show "Real Time with Bill Maher" that he would introduce a bill in Congress decriminalize small amounts of marijuana. Instead of being arrested people who were caught with marijuana would instead pay a fine much like a traffic ticket.Unfortunately, there is not enough political capital to even pass this small bill in Congress. And even if it did pass, anything short of legalization is unjust. This recent attempt to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level demonstrates the first way legalization would benefit the average American citizen - it would save them money. There would no longer be a need to spend money on marijuana enforcement or related court fees associated with the victimless crime. Instead money could be reallocated so law enforcement could actually do some real police work by cutting down on violent crimes and ensuring the safety of residents, especially in the cities. Taxes could be decreased or possibly spent more efficiently.More importantly, marijuana could be a large source of revenue for state governments who are experiencing financial woes during the current economic downturn. Sales tax generated from people who purchase marijuana could generate significant sums of money and could be similar in statute to taxes on alcohol, cigarettes and gas.Yet again, despite the legitimate reasons for legalization, there are overriding forces at work that stifle this path, separate of scientific and moral inquiry (if it was scientific and moral inquiry in anything, American society would be much different). The first beneficiary of marijuana prohibition, whether people like to admit or not, is the federal government. The federal government employs thousands of people in agencies such as the FBI and DEA to enforce drug laws. The sole reason these jobs exist is because of the laws on the books. What happens to these jobs if marijuana or any other drugs are legalized or medicinalized? They go by the wayside. Fortunately for these people, the bureaucracy of the government saves their jobs. Despite scholarly research and popular opinions, the higher ups in these organizations will do anything to save their agencies, even if it means needless spending on drug enforcement. One unfortunate byproduct of bureaucracies is that it is often more important to create and save jobs than to run the government efficiently. And in the case of U.S. government agencies, millions of dollars of funding are at stake. By eliminating marijuana prohibition, there may be many people who would lose their jobs. However, despite their bad fortune, funding jobs at the expense of the American people is just unfair. If a company in the real world does not have a niche or a market they go out of business (except for farmers who get subsidies) and their employees have to find new jobs. In this case though, the agencies continue thrive, this time at the expense of the taxpayer, whose rights are being violated. The only reason these organizations exist is because the government has people's tax money and is the ultimate authority on how to spend it. Another important beneficiary of marijuana prohibition is the alcohol industry. All things considered marijuana is less harmful, less addictive and less painful (for example, there are no hangovers) than alcohol. The reason alcohol is legal is because it has been America's drug of choice for hundreds of years. The alcohol industry stands to lose millions, maybe billions of dollars from the repeal of marijuana prohibition. The high cost of marijuana is tied up in the fact that it takes an immense amount of risk to farm and distribute a substance which is still, though unfairly, a Schedule I drug. The moment marijuana is legalized, the price would shoot down and the alcohol industry lose out. Motivation for alcohol companies to support continued marijuana prohibition remains high (that is unless they start to produce it themselves, but corporate control is another issue altogether). Despite the unjustified moral qualms that people and the government have with regulating the substances that another person chooses to put in their body at their own expense, the one argument that has proven most effective at staving off a movement of marijuana legalization is that it is a "gateway drug." Yes, marijuana is a gateway drug in a sense, but not in the sense that is traditionally thought. Marijuana does not cause people to try other drugs. Instead an individual person's psychology is how their propensity to try other drugs should be evaluated. Yes, marijuana gets people comfortable with trying illegal substances, but that is it. Many people experiment with alcohol first, especially in high school yet, alcohol is not considered a gateway drug only for the reason that it is legal. Proponents still point to the fact, after ignoring alcohol, that people start with marijuana and work their way up to harder drugs, such as heroin. Of course, this should make sense. It is analogous to running a marathon. People don't start running 26 miles, they train their way up to it. They only progress if they want to. However, there are still people that prefer to only run maybe two or three miles. A simple SAT analogy - running short distances is not a "gateway" to running marathons as marijuana is not a "gateway" to harder drugs. In conclusion, supporting marijuana prohibition for the benefit of companies and the government at the expense of the people, literally and figuratively, is not right. As of this moment, people are forced to pay to taxes in the millions of dollars to fight a drug that is only considered harmful for many unjustified reasons. In a surprising twist, a conservative notion is that marijuana prohibition is not fiscally responsible. Americans should not have to pay to prohibit the actions of others for crimes which there are no victims. Once again, the American people lose out. Weekly columnist Greg Pivarnik is an 8th-semester molecular and cell biology major. His column appears on Tuesdays. Source: Daily Campus, The (UConn, CT Edu)Author: Greg PivarnikPublished: March 25, 2008Copyright: 2008 The Daily CampusContact: opinion dailycampus.comWebsite: http://www.dailycampus.com/Related Articles:Frank Defends Proposal To Decriminalize Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23774.shtmlRep. Frank Defends Proposal To Decriminalize http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23773.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #20 posted by FoM on March 27, 2008 at 11:06:32 PT
rchandar
I agree.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #19 posted by rchandar on March 27, 2008 at 10:44:43 PT:
Wait A Minute!
"If marijuana prohibition ends, all these people lose their jobs."No, they do not, I am sorry to say! We are not operating on a platform to legalize other drugs--cocaine, heroin, metaamphetamine--and these are big trades. The argument that we can't do it or "good" people will suffer is meaningless. There will probably NEVER be a time in our history when there won't be a large bureaucracy--it's the kind of complete overhaul of a government that controls 300 million people that would require complete agreement and successful work towards achievable goals. We're very divided--these things don't change overnight! There is NO issue against us decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana. To say that the DEA, the FBI, Customs, Border Patrol, police, will have no agenda for drug enforcement because of MJ being liberalized is totally untrue. In fact, they will be working towards more reasonable ethical and community goals, as the other drugs are actually harmful.Guys, stop shooting us in the foot before we have the chance to run the mile!--rchandar
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #18 posted by aolbites on March 26, 2008 at 11:49:59 PT
Impeach Bush!!
glad you guys are all paid off.housing is really really really bad, and its going to be effecting everything.. see: http://calculatedrisk.blogspot.com/ for the downlow.I know this mess won't be over till houses in gangland [compton, ca] are selling for the historical 150-200k instead of the 400,000+ that they are still trying to sell for. [thats for about 900-1200sqft 0.14 acre lots]http://tinyurl.com/39veqc----------on the plus [?] side the gov is screwing around so much with everything that even a rich republican who voted for bush twice is willing to spend thousands $$$ sending faxes to get bush impeached..feel free to sign the petition if you want! he said he hopes to have a several thousand dollar phone bill this month .. help him out =)http://financialpetition.org/petition-impeach.shtmlhttp://market-ticker.denninger.net/2008/03/articles-of-impeachment-bear-stearns.html
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #17 posted by fight_4_freedom on March 26, 2008 at 06:12:00 PT:
LTE I just sent off to the Bay City Times
Medical MarijuanaLooks like voters here in Michigan will get a chance to voice their opinions on the issue next November thanks to some amazing activists. Thank you to everybody that has helped out in this campaign. I sure hope the voters take advantage of this golden opportunity to help others and vote with compassion and common sense this coming fall.If you have ever been close to someone with a terminal illness or someone who is constantly in excruciating pain, you know how tough it is for them to function and live life normally. Sometimes the medicine prescribed to them helps, other times it doesn't. But when a seriously ill person finally finds a medication that works for them, they should feel encouraged, not fearful of arrest.Cannabis is clearly safer than most pain medications. It is a non-toxic, natural, relatively benign substance that has been used for centuries without problems. The only reason the FDA will not approve cannabis as a medicine is simply because they will not make money off of a plant that anybody can easily grow. They approve deadly medications with serious side effects all the time. Therefore it is completely hypocritical to ban a substance that you cannot even overdose from. Not to mention one that has undeniable medical benefits and potential as a treatment for so many different ailments. People that struggle with pain and disease should have the right to choose what medicine they want. Let's not let politics, power, and profits get in the way of us helping people in need.Vote Yes on Medical Marijuana!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #16 posted by FoM on March 26, 2008 at 05:56:55 PT
aolbites 
My husband heard about the strike but I hadn't until I just asked him. Stick would honor a national strike. We knew this would happen because this administration allowed people who couldn't afford to buy a home to get one anyway. I never understood how people could afford houses selling for $300,000 as an example. If our equipment wasn't paid off we would be in trouble but we can let the truck and trailer sit if a strike happens. Since we lived thru the 70s we knew this would happen again. History repeats itself. We will get thru it but I feel sorry for people who have $2000 or more a month payments on their equipment. A couple people have lost their trucks already around here. The cost of products is going thru the roof because of the diesel prices. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #15 posted by aolbites on March 25, 2008 at 21:56:15 PT
FoM
Just a quick Q ... your guy is a truck driver [independent] right?have you heard anything about this?http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2008/03/19/news/iowa/doc47e03e9ea03bd427238845.txt?sPos=3What started as a small, online grassroots effort now appears to have the potential for something bigger.Dan Little, the owner/operator of a livestock hauling company in Carrollton, Mo., estimated Tuesday that at least 1,000 other truckers from across the United States have committed so far to joining him in a strike on April 1.-=snip=--=snip=-At issue is the rising cost of diesel fuel, which has reached or exceeded $4 per gallon in at least 17 states. But Little does not expect his strike to bring down the per-gallon price of gas, nor does he expect to have any effect on the oil companies.“What I would personally like to see is our federal and state governments, until our economy recovers, suspend federal and state fuel taxes,” the 49-year-old said. “The second thing I’d like to see is an oversight committee for truck insurance, which is part of what’s taking us down.“The average owner/operator is paying $600 to $800 a month for truck insurance. It’s based on personal credit, which means the monthly cost is going up for a lot of truckers because their credit is going down.-=snip=-----------------------------------------------------------a quick Q for everyone .. hows work in your areas?around here housing related guys... plastering, drywall etc.. are only getting a few days/week of work .. big big slowdown ... from full time to less than 3 days a week .. guys are hurting.whats up 'round where you are?
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #14 posted by FoM on March 25, 2008 at 21:15:37 PT
ekim
You're very welcome. I have a DVD of The Moody Blues at Red Rocks. It's good. Red Rocks has a spirit all it's own just like Woodstock. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #13 posted by ekim on March 25, 2008 at 20:56:07 PT
i think it was the moody blues 
maybe CSNY will do another with black and mahar and willie and who knows all might show up Denver has the voted for the people it should be respected a huge concert and convention be held in the plants honorthe legal part it so right FoM -- i just finished a email to a local pol radio show host -- his story today was on the Ambasidor Bridge from Detroit to Canada and how we need to have a back up -- so i tried to make the case that we here in MI arrest around 15 thousand a year for cannabis use and how that money could be better spent on building projects like another bridge to canada -- only to find out trying to post the email that i am allowed to be submitted.so much for a free press== i do thank you FoM for this great site you make it easy to think that all sites are like this but they are not open to new ideas.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #12 posted by FoM on March 25, 2008 at 20:29:49 PT
ekim
I saw a couple previews of the upcoming show. Those guys are funny and Lewis Black has to be one of my favorite comedians. I have a Neil Young friend that saw the CSNY Tour at Red Rocks. She said it was a spiritual experience and the best concert she ever saw and she has seen many.http://www.redrocksonline.com/index.asp
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #11 posted by ekim on March 25, 2008 at 20:13:55 PT
Mr Black was just on Larry King
i did not see any mention of this show on beer#weedLewis was just in Kal MI no mention of this show in the newspaper write up on his show at the State theaterwishing him the best of luck as if its good -- it will be riped off and be used as jokes in all the casinos-much credit goes to Penn and Teller hope all big names could meet in Denver and do a big event at the end of summer red rocks look far out in the concerts ive seen taken there
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #10 posted by FoM on March 25, 2008 at 17:46:50 PT
fight_4_freedom
You're welcome. I have seen the first shows and they were good. This one will be great I think.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #9 posted by fight_4_freedom on March 25, 2008 at 17:32:01 PT:
thanks for the reminder FoM
I completely forgot about that. I'll have to tell everyone to watch. This should be good.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #8 posted by FoM on March 25, 2008 at 17:27:47 PT
Off Topic: Beer vs. Weed Tomorrow at 10PM
10:30 PM Lewis Black's Root of All Evil --  Beer vs. Weed Beer vs. Weed - Ah, substance abuse. Though pot remains illegal, is it really worse than beer? Is it more evil to imbibe or inhale your vice? To decide, Paul F. Tompkins and Andrew Daly go head to head in the court of the honorable judge Lewis Black, the ultimate evaluator of evil. http://www.comedycentral.com/tv_schedule/index.jhtml?seriesId=24401
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #7 posted by fight_4_freedom on March 25, 2008 at 15:43:53 PT:
Another Tragic Taser Death
CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG POLICETeen who died after Taser shot had potStore manager had asked him to leave, but warrant doesn't say whyA 17-year-old who died after a police officer shocked him with a stun gun last week had marijuana hidden in his socks. And according to a search warrant, he'd been asked to leave the Food Lion where he worked before police arrived.Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Officer Jerry Dawson Jr. used his Taser after police received a disturbance call about 1:15 p.m. Thursday from the grocery store on Prosperity Church Road. Darryl Turner had worked in the University City store for about a year as a cashier and bagger.It's unclear why, but the warrant said a customer service manager had asked Turner to leave and he refused.Last week, Turner's mother, Tammy Fontenot, told the Observer that she didn't know of any problems her son had with drugs or alcohol.On Monday night she declined to comment about the search warrant that said officers found three small bags of marijuana in one of Turner's socks. They also searched his Green Ford Escort to look for drugs or other impairing substances but seized no items, according to the document."Our focus has continued to be on what the officer was confronted with at the scene," said Ken Harris, the family's attorney. "That will continue to be the focus and some of the more recent information may or may not be relevant to that."Family members and co-workers said Turner, who graduated last year from a charter high school and planned to attend college, was a good student and reliable employee. His court record consists of three traffic offenses.
complete article
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #6 posted by fight_4_freedom on March 25, 2008 at 14:11:21 PT:
My local paper finally has something about our 
initiative. They'll be receiving another LTE tonight."Lawmakers content to let 'Marihuana' issue burn without them"Posted by Clark Hughes The Bay City Times March 25, 2008Legislators too timid to touch a burning issue may let special interests determine how Michigan rolls, with a medical marijuana initiative on the Nov. 4 general election ballot.It's a poor way to make law.On March 3, the Michigan Board of Canvassers approved petition signatures for a ballot initiative that would allow seriously ill people to grow as many as 12 marijuana plants and possess 2.5 ounces of marijuana for treatment of their disease.Using an alternate spelling for the drug, the proposal is called the "Michigan Medical Marihuana Act."Its main supporters are the Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care and the Marijuana Policy Project.Their petitioners collected more than enough verifiable signatures - 377,975 - to force the proposal before the state House and Senate.If neither body of elected lawmakers acts on the proposal within 40 days, which is mid-April, the Michigan Constitution requires that the measure be placed on the next general election ballot.Neither the House nor the Senate are expected to tackle this hot-button issue.Instead, the people who voters elect and pay to represent them in Lansing may just let this proposal happen.That would be a dereliction of duty.Legislators, stand up and be counted.Let your employers, the people of your districts, know exactly where you stand on this issue.It's not like the petition has tied lawmakers' hands.Within that 40-day window, the state constitution says, lawmakers may approve the ballot proposal, or vote it down and submit their own version of what a state medical marijuana law should look like and run it on ballots alongside of the petition initiative.In any event, the "Michigan Medical Marihuana Act" crafted by special interests will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot.But Michiganders still do have a say in what they will see in voting booths on Election Day.
complete article
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #5 posted by aolbites on March 25, 2008 at 12:44:53 PT
mmmm taxes....
saw today that 10% of Ohio is getting $106 in food stamps
http://tinyurl.com/2uwd8qGreat Depression 2.0 is on its way, be prepared!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #4 posted by runruff on March 25, 2008 at 11:43:15 PT:
goneposthole
Isn't it, 'dems da fac's?Just kiddin'.Good to see you!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #3 posted by OverwhelmSam on March 25, 2008 at 11:32:15 PT
Police Still Arrest In Texas
Even though a law was passed authorizing the use of citations for minor possession, police department policies in Texas predominately insist on arresting people for personal adult use. What a total waste of time. If I ever get busted, the first thing I'll do is come home and smoke a doobie. Then I'm suing in federal court for Declaratory Judgment, "Law Enforcement Personnel are Assholes!" LOL
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #2 posted by FoM on March 25, 2008 at 09:59:34 PT
goneposthole 
It's really good to see you. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by goneposthole on March 25, 2008 at 07:32:57 PT
Another legalizer
They're everywhere. Legalizers think that marijuana prohibition is bad and has done harm to society. Sheesh, nothing could be further from the truth.Prozac, Celebrex, Vioxx, Ritalin, etc. are the good drugs. They're FDA approved and manufactured by pharmaceutical companies for the good of the drug-consuming public.Those drugs would never harm anyone. Cannabis always causes harm to everybody and kills millions.Thems the facts.
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment