California is flat broke for many reasons, but one state assembler Tom Ammiano thinks the answer may be in the states biggest cash crop: Marijuana! He is pushing forward efforts to introduce a bill that would decriminalize marijuana and allow the state to collect a tax on it’s sale. Their would be a $50 dollar levy on every ounce sold and that is where the state’s profit would come from.

Pot currently accounts for about $14 billion dollars in annual sales in California the first state to legalize medical marijuana for use back in 1996. Consider this the next largest agricultural commodity is milk and cream netting about 7.3 billion. You could be high as a kite and still see that marijuana almost doubles that figure!

Similar to how we discussed folks in Georgia looking to gain profits from extra sale of alcoholic beverages on Sunday, California is hoping Marijuana sales will be more then just a small increase.

Ammiano hopes that California might be the table setters for other states. As he duly noted often California is the trend setter for policies throughout the country.

Another individual on Ammiano’s side is retired Orange County Superior Court Judge James Gray. He is know as a supporter of legalization and he estimates the drug’s legalization would also result in a savings on money spent arresting, prosecuting, and imprisoning marijuana users.

Of course if it was all tasty nugs then this would have been in place a long time ago. There of course are detractors that like John Lovell who is adamantly against the drugs legalization. When asked his opinion he was quoted as saying:  “We have enough problems with alcohol and abuse of pharmaceutical products: do we really need to add yet another mind-altering substance to the array?” He believes that once it is readily available to all there will be an increase in it’s usage and feels this would be harmful to society as a hole.

Joel W. Hay, professor of Pharmaceutical Economics at USC also sees issues decriminalizing the drug:

“Marijuana is a drug that clouds people’s judgment. It affects their ability to concentrate and react and it certainly has impacts on third parties.”  ”It’s one more drug that will add to the toll on society. All we have to do is look at the two legalized drugs, tobacco and alcohol, and look at the carnage that they’ve caused. [Marijuana] is a dangerous drug and it causes bad outcomes for both the people who use it and for the people who are in their way at work or other activities.” He adds: “There are probably some responsible people who can handle marijuana but there are lots of people who can’t, and it has an enormous negative impact on them, their family and loved ones.”

Will legalizing pot usher in the dawn of the Zombie Apocalypse with everyone becoming mindless pot zombies? Smoking on the job and marketing specialist thinking that a great campaign would be to send a bag of Munchies to everyone in the country as part of their product promotion?

I personally do not see how it is any worse then alcohol. All this nonsense about well some people can’t handle it and some people might use it on the job etc. I got news for you some people can’t handle alcohol and there ain’t nothing you are going to do to stop them from drinking. It is a personal choice. Lets let people choose how to live their lives.

When you infringe on the privacy or safety of others that needs to be regulated. I understand society can not be a free for all, but pot seems to be one thing individuals should be able to handle on their own.

The money made on taxes is one thing, but the needless law enforcement usage and tax dollars saved on simple possession charges is also a great benefit. As you can tell I think this would be a good thing, but I have my doubts our country is ready. Who knows though I did not think we were ready for an African American president and I was pleasantly surprised. Sometimes it takes crisis to cause change.

For me it is simple:

Legalize It.

So do you have an opinion?

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