Quote:
Originally Posted by 110100100
Bullshit...
First off there is plenty of REAL crime to go around that could more than keep police busy if they were not focused on busting pot smokers. Sure they wouldn't seize as much property but oh well, let them start seizing property from real criminals for a change.
There are also plenty of cases to be litigated so I wouldn't go crying for the lawyers either. They also create their own mess. There have been more students in law school then there are lawyers for years now. The only thing that might change in the legal system is that people get the "speedy trial" they have a right to but don't get now.
Prisons...fuck em I couldn't care less. Maybe now they'd stop parole/early release of murders and child molesters so they can make room for mandatory minimum sentenced pot offenders. No they would not suffer at all either, they would just change the way they do business now.
Drug testing? Are you serious? I suppose you've never heard of cocaine or heroin or oxycontin or...they wouldn't miss a beat. Again maybe they lose a little business but not to the extent you claim.
It's not just billions that would go into the economy of legitimate businesses dude, it's over 100 billion a year. It could generate over 30 billion a year in taxes and those numbers are from smokable pot alone. That does not take into account any of the support industries that would benefit or any of the other industries that would be allowed to function because of legalization. Hemp and all it's uses would generate billions more.
I'm sure some people somewhere would lose their job due to the end of prohibition but I seriously doubt it would be enough to be noticeable on the economy.
Matter of fact http://www.prohibitioncosts.org/endorsers.html there you go...over 500 economists who believe we should legalize, three of whom are Nobel Laureates. Do you really think they would support a change that would be the drain on the economy you suggest? |
There's plenty of real crime that cops could go after instead of pot, I agree with you there. The problem is from a public finance perspective the amount of these crimes don't justify the huge expenditures that pot brings to the table.
Private prisons are business. Empty cells = lost money. So if that means they have to close a few prisons to keep the remaining ones packed that's what they'll do. which in turn means that people will still be released on early parole.
oxycotin, heroin, opiates in general don't stick around in your system for more than a couple of days so testing for it at any point beyond a week is pointless and therefore not profitable. There will still be a market for those tests but they are dwarfed by the market for thc tests.
Yes, billions will be saved in tax payer's money and billions will be pumped into local shops and company X.
What i'm saying is that the economic boost from legalizing won't be anywhere near the level that people are claiming. anyway this is just food for thought.