Globally, the marijuana market is estimated to be worth nearly $150 billion dollars…
I don’t smoke marijuana. I don’t like the way it makes me feel. True story—I become paranoid and self-critical. I will confess that I used to smoke pot in high school (quite a bit, if I am being honest). But this isn’t about me, and my desire to end the prohibition on marijuana has nothing to do with my personal preferences. This is about doing the right thing. For the good of our country, we need to end the war on weed.
Sadly, we might be heading in the opposite direction. President Trump has hinted on a crackdown on weed. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has implied much the same. This is a terrible move. Respect state rights, and let the citizens decide. We don’t need a government that infringes upon our individual liberties or arbitrarily restricts states’ rights.
Instead, the government should maximize freedom. While I do believe that the government has a right to regulate society, it should only do so if regulations protect and promote the overall well-being of society. The war on weed, in my opinion, does not promote such interests.
Furthermore, the government should not be in the business of regulating personal choices, unless those personal choices have an effect on other citizens. If I made the personal decision to steal someone else’s property or drink and drive, putting other drivers at risk, clearly my decisions can affect others. If I make the personal decision to smoke a joint in the privacy of my own home, that’s no one else’s business.
The American people want the war on weed to end
57% of Americans support the legalization of marijuana. Only 37% support keeping it illegal. Simply put, the federal government should listen to the majority and roll back its war on weed.
State governments should be allowed to continue to outlaw pot if (and only if) the majority of their citizens support criminalization. If not, state governments should also legalize or at least decriminalize marijuana.
Of course, sometimes the government must enforce laws for the good of the people, even if doing so goes against what the majority of voters want. Yet in the case of marijuana legalization, this isn’t one of those times. No one has ever died from overdosing on pot. Some studies indicate that marijuana impairs driving, if so, it should be regulated in the same way that alcohol and driving is.
Legalizing marijuana would cut into drug cartel profits
Drug cartels generate huge revenues through marijuana sales. The money generated can then be used to pay for armed thugs, weapons, and operations to produce more dangerous drugs, such as meth. The funds can also pay for things like building tunnels under walls, drug-running submarines, etc.
Like any “business,” cartels run on revenue. Weed is a major revenue producer for drug dealers. How much? Such numbers are hard to figure given the murky nature of the criminal world. Globally, however, the marijuana market is estimated to be worth nearly $150 billion dollars.
That’s a lot of money, most of it flowing into the hands of drug dealers. Seems like it’d be better to regulate marijuana, send the money to legal businesses, and then tax it.
Legal weed is good for the economy
The most famous mobsters in history, the Al Capone types, made most of their illicit fortunes during the Prohibition period. Once alcohol was legalized, these mobsters faded away and legitimate tax-paying companies emerged. They have since grown into global giants, such as Anheuser-Busch. On a side note, microbreweries are among the hottest startup ventures in America.
As for weed, in Colorado, recreational marijuana sales have topped $1 billion dollars. Much of this revenue is going to small growers and locally owned shops. The residents of Colorado literally have the chance to achieve that great American dream of owning a small business by tapping into the marijuana economy.
By legalizing marijuana, we can legalize the entire industry. People can make new accessories, farmers can grow pot, other companies can sell growing equipment. A whole multi-billion-dollar industry would sprout up, and it’d create jobs and profits. That’s good news.
Ending the pot war will generate tax revenue
Right now, drug dealers and cartels are pocketing all of the profits from marijuana. In case nobody noticed, the United States is facing a funding crisis. At the local, state, and national levels, the government is dealing with huge debts. These debts are going to be an immense burden on future generations.
Regulating and then taxing marijuana would be a great source of revenue for the government. Taxes are unpleasant, yes, but roads can’t build themselves, and funding for things like the military are necessary. So why not cut the drug dealers out and tax marijuana to help pay for our many public services?
Through the first 10 months of 2016, Colorado, one of the few states where recreational marijuana is legal, generated $150 million dollars in tax revenue. This is no insignificant amount of cash. With a population of only 5.35 million, Colorado isn’t that big of a state population-wise. If bigger states such as Texas and New York were to fully legalize and tax the marijuana industry, the revenue would be far greater.
We can reduce our prison population and save tons of cash
I’m not against punishing criminals, although for non-violent crimes I do favor rehabilitation. Anyways, pot doesn’t kill people, and doesn’t seem any worse for society than alcohol. Yet there are over 8 million marijuana arrests per year. This clogs up our court systems, occupies our officers who could be out fighting violent crime, and fills up our already bloated prison system.
It’s believed that about 750,000 people are arrested each year for marijuana-related offenses, with 88% of them arrested for simple possession. Total costs for locking up non-violent drug offenders comes in at $9.3 billion dollars with an additional $3.6 billion wasted prosecuting and arresting people for pot.
That’s billions upon billions saved and that’s just the start. Given that our national debt is approaching $19,942,894,126,493, we certainly could use the funds.
Brian Brinker is an OpsLens Contributor and political consultant. Brinker has an M.A in Global Affairs from American University.
