LEGALIZE IT (AND TAX IT LIKE CRAZY)

I am not a partaker of America's biggest cash crop. No, not corn,
silly -- marijuana. Neither, apparently, are most of the lawmakers in
this country. Looking back on all the anti-dope propaganda, it seems
like the "killer weed" has been discriminated against through
personal biases of drug czars.

Can California cash in on its biggest cash crop?

Crazy Talk

I am not a partaker of America's biggest cash crop. No, not corn,
silly -- marijuana. Neither, apparently, are most of the lawmakers in
this country.

Looking back on all the anti-dope propaganda, it seems like the
"killer weed" has been discriminated against through personal biases
of drug czars. Studies done have consistently shown, much to the
chagrin of anti-drug proselytizers, that marijuana makes you sleepy,
euphoric and somewhat hungry. Period.

This is not a personal opinion, but rather the findings of the 1972
National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse, to wit, "The actual
and potential harm of use of the drug is not great enough to justify
intrusion by the criminal law into private behavior, a step which our
society takes only with the greatest reluctance."

Over the years, a lot of marijuana advocates have used the
recommendations of that study (which was tossed out by the Nixon
administration) to promote removal of pot from Schedule I of the
Controlled Substances Act, that being: the drug or other substance
has a high potential for abuse; the drug or other substance has no
currently accepted medical use in treatment; there is a lack of
accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical
supervision.

Now, I'm no expert, but I do know people (who shall, until such time
as the prohibition ends, remain nameless) who live productive, happy
lives and still use cannabis recreationally.

In fact, I will go as far as to say that everybody knows a pot smoker
who is not a gutter-dwelling sex maniac on the road to heroin
addiction, and whatever other negative implications that have been
used to vilify marijuana usage.

This is not purely an advocacy for cannabis, however. Like many
people, I do not smoke pot, it is not for me, but if someone else
likes to get high and watch Three Stooges movies and eat an entire
package of hot dogs, more power to 'em. There are worse things a
person could do, right? But given the condition of the state and
national economy, the time is now to decriminalize marijuana and
apply taxation of the Machiavellian sort used for alcohol,
cigarettes, gasoline and playing cards.

I'm not talking about just a pack of joints available at the 7-Eleven
(and let's see some ID, please). I'm talking about paper (the
Constitution is written on hemp paper, and it's still around), rope
and fabric from a completely renewable source. Use it, tax it. And if
you think tobacco smokers shoulder an inordinate burden, imagine how
much money we can wrangle from dope smokers.

Any inmates doing time for selling marijuana, let 'em go, make them
entrepreneurs instead of criminals, have 'em set up a shop, pay the
city for a business license, and decrease the need for building new
prisons. There should be more room for murderers, thieves and sex
offenders anyway.

Plus, imagine the tourists flooding California from prohibition
states. This would not only be a tax boom, but the restaurant
industry could benefit immensely. And for nay-sayers who claim that
so easily obtainable a substance could never be taxed, I say look for
a cottage industry to explode into the biggest business on the planet.

Forget the possible medical benefits (I have high eye pressure).
Ignore the ignorant rhetoric and associations (pot-smoking commies,
sex fiends and, God forbid, jazz musicians) of the past. Tax
collectors estimate increased revenue of $1.3 billion. Law
enforcement officials estimate a $1 billion reduction in prosecuting
non-violent marijuana offenders. It might not be a complete solution
to our current budget process, but at least it's a step in the right direction.

It's time to just say yes.