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www.mikeforster.net Last Updated 3 August 2002 |
Mike
Forster's Position Papers |
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Position Papers |
Legalize Marijuana to Benefit the USA Mike Forster, Palo Alto California Legalizing marijuana, with regulation and taxation similar to alcohol and tobacco, would be a net benefit to the United States.
The US invests too much on pursuing, prosecuting, and imprisoning persons involved in using and selling marijuana. The negative effects of marijuana use on society are arguably much less than the negative effects of either alcohol or tobacco. The costs to the legal system to capture and prosecute marijuana offenders, and the costs of imprisoning such offenders, is huge. Recently, some states have spent more on prison construction and operation than on schools. A side benefit of legalizing marijuana would be to enable the many people with debilitating and terminal diseases to obtain the benefits they believe they receive from marijuana. The tax money invested on fighting marijuana use would be far better spent on fighting terrorism, on education, and on health care. |