Posted on 04/24/2006 12:33:31 PM PDT by davesdude
Executive Summary
Government prohibition of marijuana is the subject of ongoing debate.
One issue in this debate is the effect of marijuana prohibition on government budgets. Prohibition entails direct enforcement costs and prevents taxation of marijuana production and sale.
This report examines the budgetary implications of legalizing marijuana – taxing and regulating it like other goods – in all fifty states and at the federal level.
The report estimates that legalizing marijuana would save $7.7 billion per year in government expenditure on enforcement of prohibition. $5.3 billion of this savings would accrue to state and local governments, while $2.4 billion would accrue to the federal government.
The report also estimates that marijuana legalization would yield tax revenue of $2.4 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like all other goods and $6.2 billion annually if marijuana were taxed at rates comparable to those on alcohol and tobacco.
Whether marijuana legalization is a desirable policy depends on many factors other than the budgetary impacts discussed here. But these impacts should be included in a rational debate about marijuana policy.
http://www.prohibitioncosts.org/mironreport.html
Now if you tell me this article is not credible because it was posted on a site from the MPP, please throw yourself off a bridge...Because :
"Chief among the endorsing economists are three Nobel Laureates in economics: Dr. Milton Friedman of the Hoover Institute, Dr. George Akerlof of the University of California at Berkeley, and Dr. Vernon Smith of George Mason University."
Any thoughts on it? and i apologize if it was already posted somewhere...
It would be economical. Moreso if we include all manner of drugs... cocaine and heroin, amphetamines, barbituates,and derivatives thereof, and synthetics as well. And we can even LOWER the ages for consumption, dugs, alcohol, tobacco..... /slight sarc
Why would it be taxed like other goods (say candy or batteries) and not like alcohol and tobacco?
Don't want to see the DEA move under the ATF?
How much would enforcement of "over 18/21" sales restrictions cost? How much do they cost for tobacco and alcohol today? Or should marijuana be exempt from age restrictions?
Get ready for a lot of very un-serious replies as well as a lot of dope smoking jokes.
Chump change.
Hells bells, they can get 30x that from Big Tobacco, and did a few years ago.
If we would follow the example set by illegal immigration (which we are told is a labor force circumventing laws establishing a minimum wage) and accept it for the benefits it offers our economy (cheap labor in the case of illegal immigration) we WOULD do away with sales restrictions of alcohol and tobacco to minors since they would be contributing to tax revenues (as well as bartender salaries).
Finally a tax I can support! :)
Good comparison.
Not at all. I think its unfair to make fun of pot heads when they are trying to make a logical argument. Simply listening to them compose their thoughts is funny enough.
Wow.
Perhaps sanity is starting to take hold.
Do not apologize. It is a sign of weakness. [JW]
Smoke Dope For Our National Security!
Tell you what: get rid of all socialized medicine first, so that I don't have to pay these druggies' rehab costs, THEN we can talk about allowing dope to flow like water. Maybe.
Are you being serious thinking this?
A net $14billion a year would not be a bad thing.
How much is the federal deficit?
Fortunately or unfortunately as you view it, discussions of drugs at FR and among Republicans are among the most ignorant discussions. Rockefeller type drug laws have proven their ineffectuveness over the years, and simple primary school education has proved the most effective.
Wha?
did you read the whole thing there? it says any other goods but meaning any other regulated goods...do you really think your government would let drugs being regulated the same way than batteries??? WTF! Also consider it's the laureate of a nobel prize who wrote the article...Do you think he's retarted? Common, i'm trying to have a serious discussion about serious matter...
I'm curious as to what I am ignorant of. And if you tell me, and I say I've heard it before, am I still ignorant because I don't agree with you?
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