By Chris Giglio
Opinions Editor
This November, a proposition to legalize recreational marijuana for those over 21 years of age will be put to vote in California. Proposition 19 has divided politicians, law enforcement officials and Californians. Those against the proposition stand by arguments we have all heard: marijuana is a gateway drug, it creates motivational problems and it will cause consumption to increase. There has been no hard evidence that marijuana is a gateway drug and in fact most experiments conducted on this matter seem to suggest otherwise.
Opponents who note the motivational problems related to marijuana might be onto something. I’ve spent too many days trying to convince my friends that throwing a football would be better than watching the DVD menu of Life, but this is hardly a reason to continue banning marijuana. We might as well be against marijuana usage because the obscene amount of food you eat contributes to obesity in the United States.
I fundamentally disagree with the argument that consumption will increase if marijuana is legalized. Los Angeles is the best example of why this not true. In this city the use of medical marijuana has become so liberal that it is effectively legal. In this environment there hasn’t been a dramatic increase in marijuana usage and I’ve even seen instances where consumption has declined due to the higher prices of medical stores.
Furthermore there are a number of opportunities California can capitalize on through this proposition. The first and easiest sell in a state that has a $19.1 billion deficit is the tax revenue that can be gained through legalization, according to USA Today. Potential tax revenue from marijuana is estimated at $1.4 billion dollars. The effectiveness of our police force would also rise significantly.
Right across the Bay from where I live, Oakland struggles with one of the highest murder rates in the United States. I’m sure police in Oakland would be happy to stop arresting thousands of people for minor possessions and divert those resources towards dealing with the serious problems they face.
The violence across our border is another compelling reason to legalize marijuana. The drug-cartel wars in Mexico, which have left over 20,000 dead, have been mainly caused by factions fighting over drug routes into the United States. Cutting off this lucrative market from these cartels would do the Mexican government, its civilians and the U.S. a favor.
Marijuana is a still a drug that, like alcohol, should be used with precaution, but prolonging a 73-year-old ban that has been completely ineffective puts our citizens in danger and just doesn’t make sense. Whether or not this proposition passes, states and the federal government should look at ways to responsibly decriminalize marijuana.
Armut Koltuk • Jan 25, 2011 at 4:52 pm
Its terrible. Some times goverments may do mistake.
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Reynolds Risseeuw • Sep 30, 2010 at 11:29 pm
Legalizing marijuana would have economically profitable impacts reaching far beyond the direct taxation of its purchase. We must look at the broader picture to fully understand the costs and benefits. Private company revenue would increase in many areas. We will need to effectively address the issue that money will leave the United States as newly liberated smokers rush to Ikea in unfounded numbers to buy bean bags and psychodelic table lights. Offsetting this loss, however, will be the revenue of U.S. owned businesses such as Taco Bell, Frito-Lay, and whatever mom & pop markets make and sell kaleidoscopes (the latter in itself could revitalize middle class America). Realistically, should Proposition 19 take on a nation wide consideration, the resulting trickle down effect from increased demand for Doritos alone could pay off our debt to China, rectify the mortgage crisis, subsidize national health care, and get Looney Tunes a 5 O’clock spot on Fox News.