Armageddon

California is struggling and  being looked upon as Armageddon with regards marijuana legalization. The debate is raging and with as many proponents as opponents it’s in full bloom. There can’t be enough said about the issue. The pros are its medical use for conditions such as glaucoma, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and a whole host of other less critical ailments that are treatable with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other cannabinoids. The negatives, erosion of mental capacity, lethargy and an inability to maintain long term memory. Clinical studies have proven that its use over a lengthy period of time is devastating on one’s mental acuteness, memory and the ability to focus on projects of long duration. Not to mention the degradation and crime that comes with casual use for recreational purposes.

Regrettably, what’s mentioned above isn’t standing in the way of  California’s legislature. It appears that Governor Schwarzenegger is behind a move to legalize marijuana, calling for a debate to pursue the potential of tax revenues.

Medical marijuana is already legal in California and the harvested crop, just to service that aspect of legalization, is valued at approximately $17 billion a year. California, faced with a budget crisis, can’t and hasn’t collected one red cent of tax on this revenue. Federal law still criminalizes marijuana use.

Sin taxes always flourish when economies are in bad shape. New taxes come into existence and old ones are raised. Didn’t a lot of states just raise tax on cigarettes, liquor and the like? One of the new taxes would be on the use of marijuana, California being the gauge for judgment.

If California taxed marijuana as they do cigarettes and alcohol, according to Jeffrey Miron, a Harvard economist, their projected revenues could easily top $100 million a year. No wonder Mr. Schwarzenegger is suddenly jumping aboard. That’s not all of it though. Mr. Miron also estimated California’s cost of enforcing anti-marijuana laws, policing, courts and jail time, to be in excess of $980 million a year. That would be quite a savings.

The same Harvard economist also forecasted a national savings, if marijuana were to be legalized nationally, of 7.7 billion a year on drug-war related spending. And the federal government could raise $6.2 billion in tax revenues.

Mr. Miron, a libertarian, has openly stated that he believes all drug prohibition interferes in people’s private lives. He is also an astute purveyor of political agendas and was quoted as saying, “Democrats know that the potheads are going to vote for them anyway. The people on the other side who care about this stuff know that this is really a big deal.”

He was referring to the government’s understanding of the far reaching ramifications of legalization. Court cases overturned, prisoners released, records exonerated and a myriad of other legal quagmires.

In the past, legislators have overlooked their personal displeasure with “sinful” activities and allowed casinos and gambling to raise tax revenues. Times are tough and I have no doubt that state and local governments are looking at this issue in much the same light. If they want to raise money, and tax marijuana, they are going to have to legalize it first. They would have to decriminalize its use, but not the sell of it. That in itself would save millions of dollars in going after the users and avail the government with taxable sellers.

The bill before the California legislature  has strong support, all because of a downtrodden economy. And unfortunately, California will be the touchstone for the country. What has our society come to? What will one do for a loaf of bread and sixpence? What next will we do to sell our souls?