The Economics of Pot

Pot otherwise known as Marijuana, is derived from the Hemp plant. In my hub

http://rafken.hubpages.com/hub/Could-Marijuana-Save-the-World

I tell of the thousands of uses for Hemp. I also say of why, in my opinion, it was made illegal.

Smoking Pot is not particularly harmful, certainly not as harmful as excessive use of alcohol or tobacco and can in some cases even have medicinal value, which cannot be said for cigarettes or booze.

Yet, cigarettes and alcohol are legal, whilst Pot is not.

Millions of Americans ignore the fact that it is illegal and smoke pot anyway.

The producers and sellers of pot do not pay tax, as what they are doing is illegal and they cannot mention it.

If pot was legalized, producers of the product, distributors and sellers would all have to declare their business and pay taxes accordingly.

Tax could also be put on the product itself.

These steps would create legal jobs and revenues in the millions of dollars.

Not only that, but law enforcement agencies could divert badly needed resources to averting more dangerous activities.

Courts and correctional centers could be less congested. When you consider that it costs more to house and feed an inmate for one day than it does a soldier, better value can be made of the tax dollar.

Limitations have already been put in place for where a person may smoke a cigarette. Similar limitations could be set for the use of pot.

Some say that smoking pot can lead to taking stronger drugs. That can also be said though, for cigarettes, alcohol, sleeping tablets, paint sniffing, prescription and non prescription medications.

There is clearly here an opportunity for the creation of jobs and for the much needed increase in government revenues.

America has reached a low point in its economic history. It is time it looked to history and considered the facts.

Did the abolishing of Prohibition lead to more or less violent crimes?

Is it the big money of the Tobacco and Alcohol lobbyists that stop politicians from acting?

Whilst I am certain that the legalizing of pot would reduce sales of cigarettes and alcohol, wouldn’t the reduction of the intake of these products also lead to a reduced strain on the health services?

There is no magic wand that will solve America’s problems overnight but many steps like legalizing pot can help.

It is past time that politicians decided who was running the country, them or lobbyists, and who they are running it for, the few or the many.

There will always be party politics delaying progress, but that is better than rampant progression in the wrong direction that is often the case with dictatorships.

Special interest groups should always be listened to and weight given to their concerns. However that weight should always be balanced with the common good. Too much weight in one direction, leads to a dictatorship by the multi nationals in a guise of democracy, causing progress to be a mere illusion.