LEGALIZATION!! BUT HOW?

In the past days I have read many opinions on the topic of
legalization marijuana. "Finance the bailout; Legalize weed" was an
article [editorial] in the Guardian on April 7th, 2009, in which the
author talked about how the legalization of marijuana could be an
opportunity to lower enforcement costs but raise money by taxing the
drug. I agree, but I was thinking about how taxing a plant would be
possible. Since marijuana grows from a seed it is not possible to be
monopolized, therefore the decriminalization needs stricter regulations.

If legalized, the drug would have to be sold in stores, which would
have to be supplied by licensed growers that would have to report to
the government who the grower is and how much they supply in order to
stop the import of the substance from other countries. Since
marijuana can be grown in backyards, barns, and even inside, there
has to be a limit of how much an individual is allowed growing for
personal usage; otherwise the taxation will not be successful. Even
if decriminalized, there will be people who will grow or import it to
make money without paying taxes, which will have to be penalized. I
agree with Sarah Reiff that people would have to get educated just as
people getting educated about alcohol and cigarettes; but I think the
costs for that would be a reasoned spending because teenagers will
smoke the drug uneducated. Having our children educated about the
substance might have the result that the rate of people smoking it,
will go down.

13 States in the US have legalized medical marijuana and many more
are in the process. In my opinion, being able to decide for yourself
if you want to smoke weed or not, is liberty. Liberty was an
enlightened concept and a major point for our founding fathers.

"Some of my finest hours have been spent on my back veranda, smoking
hemp and observing as far as my eye can see." Thomas Jefferson, 1781.

Robin Heinrich