Jump to content
Washington Football Team Logo
Extremeskins

Money Talks, the economics of legalizing MJ


Mooka

Recommended Posts

This is not a thread to debate whether or not mj should be legal. This is just something that you should definently take a look at if you're interested.

Jeffrey A. Miron is a professor of economics at Harvard. He's written a report on the possible economics of legalizing and taxing MJ. His report is supported and signed by many well known economists.

http://www.prohibitioncosts.org/

some awesome number crunching

The report estimates that legalizing marijuana would save $7.7 billion per year in government expenditure on enforcement of prohibition. $5.3 billion of this savings would accrue to state and local governments, while $2.4 billion would accrue to the federal government.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I did a report in college on the value of legalizing pot. The amount of money the goverment could make plus the amount it could save is unbelievable.

I don't smoke anymore but I dont care if anyone else does. I personally found that it did make me lazy and unmotivated, which is why I stopped. But if you want to do it and you don't bother anyone else more power to you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah. I gotta think that if it was a purely economic debate, it would already be legal. Money talks in this country. The problem is the government wouldnt make money off of it. At least efficiently. People would just grow it in the freaking ground. If you could grow oxycotin in the ground it would probably be illegal. Marijuana has just been given a bad stigma.

I dont know economics, but I know if Milton Friedmen signed that report, it must be legit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Didn't Milty once say "there is no free marijuana?" or something like that? Btw I am not a big fan of his :).

Yeah I dont know. Read a book of his in college and seemed to have a better grasp of economics than I will ever have or wish to have. The **** bores me to death.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah. I gotta think that if it was a purely economic debate, it would already be legal. Money talks in this country. The problem is the government wouldnt make money off of it. At least efficiently. People would just grow it in the freaking ground. If you could grow oxycotin in the ground it would probably be illegal. Marijuana has just been given a bad stigma.

I dont know economics, but I know if Milton Friedmen signed that report, it must be legit.

No, this argument isn't valid. The only reason people grow it now is because of the price. If it were to become legal and thus regulated, the price would drop and it would not be worth it to grow yourself.

Otherwise, why don't more ciggarette smokers have tobacco plants in their back yards?? ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No, this argument isn't valid. The only reason people grow it now is because of the price. If it were to become legal and thus regulated, the price would drop and it would not be worth it to grow yourself.

Otherwise, why don't more ciggarette smokers have tobacco plants in their back yards?? ;)

good point.

and many people will tell you that growing the good stuff isn't the easiest thing to do. those babies need lots of love.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, money talks.

So, how much money do y'all think, say, Corrections Corporation of America would spend lobbying against legalization?

Followup:

And how many industries that depend on a plentifull supply of "people who only had a few joints" to supply them with cheap labor? ('Course, I don't know how many of those industries are just using illegals and skipping the whole thing.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No, this argument isn't valid. The only reason people grow it now is because of the price. If it were to become legal and thus regulated, the price would drop and it would not be worth it to grow yourself.

Otherwise, why don't more ciggarette smokers have tobacco plants in their back yards?? ;)

Well I dont know. Its legal in Holland but not exactly cheap. People grow it, but yes, most people are lazy and just cough up the money. The thing is they couldnt regulate it like they could with tobacco. You dont need a field of pot to have a personal stash. There would have to be significant legislation passed to protect big businesses, and prosecute tax evaders (or growers). Not saying that would be impossible to do.

The point I'm making is that the main reason its still illegal is because of the stigma, other reasons are just excuses.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This isnt a hard issue. Make it illegal to have personal plants without registration. Similar laws are in affect now limiting the size and output from personal "stills".

People can make their own gin/rum/ etc, but the majority buys it from a store. The same economic/legal pressures will create the same situation with pot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...