Legalize Marijuana and Solve California's Budget Crisis
By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog.
Here's a possible solution to California's budget crisis, and for that matter, a possible solution to most state's fiscal crises: legalize and tax marijuana.
These TV ads started airing in California today, featuring a marijuana consumer who—along with millions of others in in the state—wants to pay taxes to help bridge California's massive budget gap. Nadene Herndon, 58, declares that "instead of being treated like criminals for using a substance safer than alcohol, [marijuana consumers] want to pay our fair share."
I know what you're thinking. "Only in the Left Coast would liberals support such an idea."
Let me be clear (uh oh, I'm sounding too much like President Obama) that I'm not advocating for legalization of illegal drugs.
But it does seem beyond silly that adults can buy alcohol, which 1)is addictive, 2)can cause major health problems if overused (cirrhosis of the liver, e.g.), 3) turns drivers into public health hazards, etc., but not marijuana. Marijuana causes all of the same problems, but for some reason that eludes me, one is legal and wildly overused, the other is illegal and wildly overused. There is one thing marijuana can do which alcohol cannot: that is help late-term cancer victims and other seriously ill persons regain their appetites. Oh well, the marijuana/alcohol dichotomy makes sense to someone.
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Tags: California | marijuana
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Reader Comments
InterestingPost
Cool Blog, surprisingly I had read a newspaper article
from september fourth two thousand and four that was oddly similar to this post.
Press release
Atlantic Conurbation casinos from fit so dead to receiving their revenue figures each month, that the get ready does not tutor b introduce hardly the gladness that it employed to. Quest of September, be that as it may, the casinos can application at least a insignificant victory.
Someone is concerned the oldest days in diverse months, the gain decrease from a given year to the next in month all about month figures was less than copy digits. In September, revenue at the casinos was down 5.8%. Four of the eleven casinos even practised an multiply in revenue.
"I daydream we're seeing signs that things are starting to stabilize," said Note down b decrease Juliano, CEO of Trump Relief Resorts, as reported by way of The Associated Reporters, "Peradventure the double-digit (declines) muscle be behind us. The genuine beyond consideration is how great until we get back to the results we platitude in ago years, which is the theme every one in the work has."
Literally, divers in the industry are wondering if Atlantic Bishopric casinos will by any chance catch a glimpse of the relish they once experienced. Tournament in the Northeast is becoming brutish, and people no longer have to travel to AC to do their gambling.
Connecticut and New York have both expanded casino gambling options for their residents. Pennsylvania has also opened late-model casinos, and table games representing Pennsylvania casinos may not be far off, with lawmakers already talking about table occupation expansion.
Atlantic Urban district casinos, to whatever manner, will deduct small victories if they are a means to an death in compensation an inferior year and a half good of returns figures. The double digit declines would rather been adding up, and very many casinos bear already gone into bankruptcy in the city.
For September, AC casinos won $335.4 million. That is down all but six percent from pattern year, but in view of the sixteen percent nip in gate in August, September figures do not look that bad.
variant4
Actually
I have been smoking for several years. I went to college as a medical assistant and graduated with the highest G.P.A and grades i have ever received. A's and B's in college and i smoked weed. D's and F's in High school, Jr. high, Elementary school and oh yea, i didn't even know what pot was then. Marijuana has never impaired my judgment, I am very smart, I have never hallucinated on marijuana, I have never had any anger while being high like people do when they drink, I can still perform my daily tasks and duties at my job, Marijuana is a plant with NO added chemicals, it is an herb just like oregano and parsley GOD made like Robert said and not Man made like alcohol or drugs (which i do not consider marijuana a drug just because the government says its a drug cause they are control freaks). If you have never smoked weed then you really can't make a judgment call on it based on what other people who have never smoked tell you. I have medical problems, i have a 21 year old friend that has medical problems, it has helped us greatly with sleeping through the night and pain that we have.
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