"Fix" the economy is a huge stretch...even "help" the economy is a stretch too. I could go into more details, but one factor is all that needs to be said...we're 10 trillion dollars in debt. The reason we're in debt is because we've spent the last decade overvaluing our homes and issuing loans to people that couldn't afford the monthly payment. The only thing legalizing marijuana would do is help those people cope with the fact that they have no job and no home.

How much of that debt came from funding the DEA and the failed drug war? How about housing people who's crime was that they had pot? How much time in the courts has been taken up by marijuana cases? How about the money for the prosecuting and defense attornys? It really adds up?

Pumping more money into fighting against marijuana seems tragically stupid.

Several billion I know, but that encompasses a lot. The number exclusively in regards to marijuana, probably a lot too. Last number I remember hearing was on average about twenty billion gets spent TOTAL every year. But that means everything, not just marijuana.

Still, you can pinpoint hundreds of areas that have had money spent poorly...not just marijuana. Say you have this bucket of water with hundreds of tiny holes representing every problem. What does plugging one hole solve, nothing. Legalize marijuana (while I 100% support it) won't help the economy. There are bigger holes to plug, such as our education system, poor management of unions, healthcare, morgages, banks...and the list goes on and on. Sure, I'd love to have the legalization of marijuana, but saying it will help the economy isn't one of the reasons I support it.

The fundamental reason we are in a recession is a titanic collapse of the financial system specifically involving the housing market and the overvaluing of mortgages. Legalizing marijuana would not make a noticeable dent in solving that.

I will help the economy more than wasting dollars to fight it. It would create jobs too, and if America can use something, it surely is jobs.

Trying to keep it illegal is just pointless, people want it legal, it would generate revenue, tax dollars and save money fighting something that can't be fought.

Oor government is supposed to be of the people, by the people for the people, isn't it about time they stood by that creed?

In order for that to hold true you would need to tell me that the majority of Americans want marijuana to be legal. Just because some people want it legalized doesn't mean a larger portion wants it to remain illegal.

Also, how would it create jobs? The tobacco industry employs only roughly one million people worldwide. Furthermore, the US is not the best suited spot to grow marijuana. If it became legal it would likely be countries outside of the US would profit more. The only reason farmers in the US make enough income to survive is because the US government pays them. The legalization of marijuana wouldn't create some influx of farmers, it would only likely create a few small large farms.

What the hell are you doing on a marijuana growing website when you are so against legalization?

How will anyone ever know how many people want it legalized when people aren't given the chance to voice their views without fear of future survailance and prosecution?

Legalization and the taxation of marijuana was the question that received the most votes in favor of out of all of the questions that were in round 1 of Obama's submittal. That tells me that the people are in favor of legalization.

I know legalization would create a job for me. I could grow in my yard and turn a tidy profit. Yes lost of people will try to grow, but how many will actually be successful? Once they've seen how much effort goes into it, they'll be more than happy to purchase instead.

Don't forget the market for edible marijuana products would also have a boom. I"m sure they wouldn't be allowed to made in regular bakeries, so think of that too.

marijuana smoke shops, where you buy your stuff
More head shops since the stigma will be lessoned
marijuana clubs where you chill and smoke instead of drinking like at bars.
marijuana bakeries.
marijuana candies.

Then there are all the industrial products that could also be made.

paper products. - fewer caustic chemicals are required to make paper from hemp than from trees. Hemp paper does not turn yellow and is very durable. The plant grows quickly to maturity in a season where trees take a lifetime.


plastics - Hempen plastics are biodegradable! Over time, they would break down and not harm the environment. The process to produce the vast array of natural (hempen) plastics will not ruin the rivers. Hemp products are safe and natural.


Foods - A large variety of food products can be generated from hemp. The seeds contain one of the highest sources of protein in nature. ALSO: They have two essential fatty acids that clean your body of cholesterol. These essential fatty acids are not found anywhere else in nature! Consuming pot seeds is the best thing you could do for your body. Eat uncooked hemp seeds. (1/3 of all americans are on lipitor, what if they could all eat hemp seeds and not have to pay for those prescriptions anymore? Medicines aren't made in American anymore anyway, there's $100 per person to be spend elsewhere).

clothing - Hemp clothing is extremely strong and durable over time.

I guess you aren't thinking outside the fact that it gets you high, it does so many other things. That's adding up to a lot of jobs. We could keep all that manufacturing here in the US. I bet there are a lot of people out there who are running out of unemployment that would gladly stand in line to receive a job in any one of these industries.

Please open your eyes to what the cannibis plant could do for us all.

http://www.world-mysteries.com/marijuana1.htm

First, I've ever said I was against legalization...never once. I've only said that I don't believe legalization of marijuana will help the economy. End of story there.

Wrong. Legalization would allow you to grow your own marijuana legally. How many people do you know that grow tomatoes, tobacco, grapes, apples, cotton...and on and on...and turn a profit. I'm betting zero. Why, because those people grow as a hobby. Profits are made by large farmers who own large pieces of land and have the resources to grow large crops. Legalizing marijuana would prompt the same thing to happen. A few large land owners would produce the majority of the marijuana sold. You think Amsterdam gets its marijuana from a bunch of people growing in their backyard lol. Heck no, they get it from professional growers, with professional equipment, who overpower small growers with their prices.

First of all, almost every major city has already made smoking illegal in clubs, bars, and restaurants. You can't legalize smoking there because then the cigarette smokers would be upset. You can't legalize both because then the nonsmokers would be upset. Sure, a few businesses might pop up, but thats hardly a case to legalize it.

So wait, you'd be creating jobs by removing jobs? How does that solve anything?

How does this create more jobs though? This is my point, what does the legalization of marijuana do to help the economy. Last I checked, the plastics industry isn't hurting, so how does this help? Sure, there are TONS of materials in the world that can replace other materials, but what does that prove? How does this help the economy?

Again, so what. You've introduced a new food into our grocery stores. So in the peanut area there will be "hemp seeds". Again, big deal. Sure, great product, but its like adding a new kind of pretzel, big deal.

Again...sigh...replacing one with another. What does that do?

All you did was show was uses the marijuana plant has...big deal. I already knew that. And your points are this...turn the plastics industry into a marijuana industry. Turn the cotton industry into a marijuana industry. What does that do? Our economy isn't in the dump because of those industries. marijuana as a fuel source, then you can start talking. Otherwise, exchanging one material for another does absolutely nothing.

I'm all for the legalization of marijuana. Legalize it! But legalize it because its not a dangerous drug, calms people's nerves, or can be used to help people with illnesses. Legalize it because its less dangerous than a night of hard drinking. Legalize it because it doesn't have the addictive qualities of cigarettes.


Make a case that it should be legal because it would help the economy...that's where I save BS.

Actually try 50 trillion or more. the debt your talking about is just loans which doesn't include are social programs but that's a whole another topic all together. Just like Alcohol prohibition was repealed it could help tremendously. granted it wouldn't save us but it would definitely help as long as Americans are getting the jobs and not illegals.

Helping prove my point. The end of prohibition didn't help the economy, it helped the people suffering through it. World War II and the New Deal helped the economy.

Are you not aware that all in industries that I mentioned make their stuff OVERSEAS as in not in America. If we opened up all these industires here in america, think of all those jobs. If we opened all those industries here in america someone here in america would be needing to grow what was needed to be used.

Plastics made of hemp do not pollute during their making, the don't poison you while you use them and they are biodegradable. When was the last time you could say that about a pertochemical based plastic.

Henry Ford made a car where 70% of the car was made out of hemp based plastics and the car ran on hemp based fuel. Back in I think it was 2004, a hemp powered car drove around the US.

Ignoring the solutions does not make them any less viable.