Can Marijuana Help Rescue California's Economy?

[garbon]

How much do they embrace tobacco smoke? At the very least, if it's legalized than perhaps they can make it smell better when it burns.

Cigarette smokers are generally frowned upon, while marijuana smokers are taken as a part of everyday life.

[Neil]

Hopefully the anti-smoking lobby and the legalization lobby will wipe each other out.

[saskganesh]

gambling is another one of those societal ills, but its legal in many places. some of the cash raised goes towards treatment, education, enforcement etc.

you also have large savings in law enforcement.

if its legalised, within a few years most people, even most nontokers,  will accept it as a normal state of being.

Yeah, we have such large savings in law enforcement from the legalization of alcohol.  And one cannot forget to argue how the legalization of tobacco and alcohol has little or no impact on the medical costs.

And, I agree, nontokers will soon accept it as a normal state of being. Just as much as they currently accept tobacco smokers, and how much they embrace homeless drunks.

the tax revenue from alcohol sales is very handsome. as to cost savings, the FBI can now do other things besides raiding boozecans/bars.

why criminalise normal behavior? are you afraid of becoming unemployed?

why do you insist that ever person whose behavior you do not possibly agree with is equivalent to a homeless drunk?

you are a living example of why law enforcement personel should not dictate the legal system.

[Strix]

the tax revenue from alcohol sales is very handsome. as to cost savings, the FBI can now do other things besides raiding boozecans/bars.

The problem is that California legalizing marijuana doesn't change or affect Federal Law. The FBI will still be raiding except now those caught will face the Draconian drug laws that the Feds use instead of being dropped into local courts.

why criminalise normal behavior? are you afraid of becoming unemployed?

Because not all normal behavior is healthy for an individual and/or society. And, no, legalizing marijuana will have no effect on my employment status. There is a lot of crime associated with drugs that legalizing marijuana will not change.

why do you insist that ever person whose behavior you do not possibly agree with is equivalent to a homeless drunk?

When did I insist this? I was implying that there will be an increase of homeless people who have succumb to overindulging in marijuana just as there are those who have done so with alcohol.  It just means more people trying to bum money for alcohol, tobacco, AND marijuana.

you are a living example of why law enforcement personel should not dictate the legal system.

Those without law enforcement backgrounds are doing such an excellent job why would anyone want to replace them? 

There is a reason that Republicans get elected when crime starts to get out of control.

EDIT: And the cost savings and increased revenue will be outweighed by increase costs to health care and other associated items created by a larger base of users.

[Caliga]

I was implying that there will be an increase of homeless people who have succumb to overindulging in marijuana just as there are those who have done so with alcohol.

I've never heard of a marijuana habit rendering someone homeless.

[Strix]

I was implying that there will be an increase of homeless people who have succumb to overindulging in marijuana just as there are those who have done so with alcohol.

I've never heard of a marijuana habit rendering someone homeless.

Than you probably haven't lived in a big city filled with Dazzling Urbanites before.

[Caliga]

Well, I grew up outside of Philadelphia... I didn't spend a ton of time in the city but I never heard of any marijuana-addicted homeless there.  I did live in the city of Boston from 1994 to 2001, and didn't hear of or see any there either.  My impression is that most homeless with drug problems were alcoholics.

[Strix]

Well, I grew up outside of Philadelphia... I didn't spend a ton of time in the city but I never heard of any marijuana-addicted homeless there.  I did live in the city of Boston from 1994 to 2001, and didn't hear of or see any there either.  My impression is that most homeless with drug problems were alcoholics.

It might be different in other places but the county I live in has a tough policy on DHS (formerly DSS aka welfare) clients. In order to receive Medicaid, Food Stamps, and a check they must get a substance abuse evaluation. If they have a drug problem (marijuana, alcohol, or what not) than they must get treatment. Failure to obtain an evaluation, treatment, and/or failure to comply with treatment (being absent, etc) results in a DHS sanction of X number of days. Also failure to report to DHS as directed, reply to letters, and any other number of things results in DHS sanction.

You can guess how well young Dazzling Urbanites fair in this system. The results are a lot of people sanctioned for marijuana use that are evicted to friends, family, shelters, or the streets. You can also guess how receptive family and friends are to hosting someone who robs them blind for drug money.

The result is an increasing number of homeless people in the Rochester area because of marijuana. And this is before it's legalized. Once it becomes legal than all bets are off as to the eventual number of homeless and displaced people.

[garbon]

All that says is that laws/regulations create the link of marijuana to homelessness.  That has little or nothing to do with marijuana addiction or abuse (in the actual sense of the word, not just use).

[Strix]

All that says is that laws/regulations create the link of marijuana to homelessness.  That has little or nothing to do with marijuana addiction or abuse (in the actual sense of the word, not just use).

We are discussing laws/regulations and not addiction or abuse. Legalizing marijuana will ultimately create a larger population that uses it. A larger base population of users creates the potential for more users that become addicted and/or abuse the drug. As is the case with alcohol and tobacco.

The real issue will be in the private sector and not the public one. How will the private sector deal with employees using marijuana on a regular basis especially those that drug test now, and will it be legal for a business to discriminate on the basis of marijuana use?