Marijuana > Corn
Guess what the number one cash crop in the US is? I'll give you a hint - it's not corn.
Now, given that America's pot is worth $35 billion annually, does it really make sense to continue spending billions of dollars trying to keep it illegal? Of course it doesn't. That's a $35 billion industry driven underground, so that the only people who can make a worthwhile profit off of it are crime lords. Essentially, decent people are sent to jail every year so that the heads of the criminal underworld can grow rich from an industry that is theirs by way of a government-manded monopoly. This isn't just an injustice, and it's not just a waste of money - it's insane. Utterly batshit one-flew-over-the-cuckoo's-nest insane.
Labels: marijuana
posted by Ryan Ringer @ 12/19/2006 10:15:00 a.m.
5 comments
5 Comments:
Replace marijuana with cocaine and would you agree?
Instead of talking about marijuana, talk about the sex trade and would you agree?
I'm not fully in favour of maintaining the criminal nature of pot, but arguments like the one you showed here should not be used.
The argument in favour of the sex industry could look like this:
"Now, given that America's sex industry is worth $xx billion annually does it really make sense to continue spending billions of dollars trying to keep it illegal? Of course it doesn't. That's a $xx billion industry driven underground so that the only people who can make a worthwhile profit off of it are crime lords. Essentially, decent people are sent to jail every year so that the heads of the criminal underworld can grow rich from an industry that is theirs by way of a government-manded monopoly. This isn't just an injustice, and it's not just a waste of money - it's insane. Utterly batshit one-flew-over-the-cuckoo's-nest insane."
You can say 'well marijuana is different' but then argue that point, argue that marijuana is not dangerous. Not this nonesense about how we should be profiting off of the drug trade rather than supressing it. We could profit off the sex trade too, doesn't make it right or moral.
Ironically, the most powerful argument for keeping marijuana illegal is economic. If marijuana was made illegal, its price would plummet and the economy, at least short term, would take a hit.
That said, I want to see the drug legalized for a whole host of reasons.
Umm.... since marijuana is illegal the economy would remain unaffected by the legalization of it. Our economy is based off of legal activities not illegal grow-ops.
What saddens me is when people argue that we should legalize "x issue" whether it be the sex industry, marijuana or others because we can make cash off of it.
I also find it ironic that at a time when governments are spending millions fighting smoking and toughening anti - smoking laws that we are moving the other way with marijuana.
Of course prostitution should be legal. And the jury's out on cocaine as far as I'm concerned. The evidence I've seen has seemed to suggest that the criminal activity associated with the drug and the sex trade exists precisely BECAUSE drugs and prostitution remain illegal. If they were legal, and strictly controlled, the harm would be far less pronounced, to both individual and community. The fact that it would also be profitable is a bonus.
"Umm.... since marijuana is illegal the economy would remain unaffected by the legalization of it. Our economy is based off of legal activities not illegal grow-ops."
Come again. Of course, what happens in the underground ECONOMY has an impact. I also agree with clear grit legalize prostitution as well; let Germany serve as a model.
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