Legalization won't stop crime

[WeirdWilly]

"Conventional" wisdom says if you legalize drugs it takes away the profit incentive, and BTW look how much we can collect in taxes.

Hmmm...last I checked, there are STILL bootleggers. There are stores selling underage, and there are people willing to sell you tax-free or stolen smokes.

I still support the decriminalization of MJ - busting the users is a HUGE burden on society.

But to think that legalization and public sales of not only MJ but hard drugs would lead the dealers to give up and go get dishwashing and janitorial jobs is naive. Either they will still get involved in a dark way in the legal business (tax evasion, protection, burglary), or they will find other criminal enterprises (human trafficing, murder for hire, kidnapping).

Hopefully, maybe, it really would help reduce it, which is a good thing, but being able to pop down to the corner store for an eighth of kush will NOT stop crime.

[cj's dad]

Bootleggers ?? where ?? and before you say Appalachia, who cares 'bout that ??

Legalization of alcohol - post prohibition days - kinda worked didn't it ??

[salty]

If MJ is legalized then all the dealers will switch to prescription pills or go open a head shop. They would never legalize hard drugs. Which means your pot dealer isn't going to switch to human trafficking, murder for hire, or kidnapping. I don't think they would even switch to burglary.

The point in legalizing MJ is that the government spends to much money on busting pot dealers For example the helicopters with the special camera equipment to find weed out in the woods. Or the time an officer spends searching someones car and missing the ten drunk drivers that swerved by while the officer was looking under the seat.

[serp]

Exceptions don't make the rule. Surely you don't believe that bootlegging is near the problem now that it was during prohibition... do you?

There are lots of points in favor of legalizing mj not the least of which is that it isn't any more harmful than some other legal to use drugs. You can get stupid using many legal things.

I probably would never use mj even if it were legal but it seems silly that it is illegal and there is an expensive campaign/war on it.

[Tom]

Sex
Drugs
Gambling
Alcohol

People want it, you will never stop it. Stop wasting time and money trying to.

[boxcar]

Sex
Drugs
Gambling
Alcohol

People want it, you will never stop it. Stop wasting time and money trying to.

Yes....but...do people always want what's best for them?

Boxcar

[harntrox]

The news that doesnt make the news ... is the real news.
Mexicans have more recreational civil rights than americans, since 2008. How sad.
http://matadorpulse.com/mexico-passes-drug-legalization-law/

Notice how cannabis has been legal in Mexico since 2008, and has never been reported on a local TV channel? Ever.

(wikipedia)
California Cannabis = 14 Billion industry in a country who's GDP is 14 trillion. California GDP = 1.86 trillion.

Thats significant enough to attract the Big Players. Not horse-players either.
If there is any game to be played by the powers that be, it will be played, it will be exploited, and so will you.

Unless you vote for American Liberty as defined by Thomas Jefferson, every chance you get.

'All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent. '

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/t/thomas_jefferson.html