Real Life Example

by Liberty and Power

Yesterday, I posted an item on a new economic study about the billions of dollars that could be saved and generated by legalizing and taxing marijuana. However, there is nothing like a real life example to drive home the point.

The Washington Times has a column called the"American Scene" with snippets of news from various states. In Thursday's edition under Oregon the following headline appeared, Lawmakers discover revenue surplus. The story read as follows: "Salem--Oregon lawmakers have discovered an unexpected source of revenue--medicinal marijuana.

When Oregon began its medical-marijuana program six years ago, officials didn't expect it to grow so fast. Now there are more than 10,400 registered patients who have produced a surplus of $1.1 million.

Trying to balance Oregon's budget, House legislators voted 49-10 to siphon $900,000 of that money to pay for other human service needs."

comments powered by Disqus

More Comments:

Charles Johnson - 6/7/2005

Of course it would be better for marijuana to be legally available and taxed than it would be for marijuana to remain criminalized. The question is what the reasons to be given for opposing marijuana prohibition are.

Trading off increased theft from peaceful marijuana users may be reasonable as a ransom for keeping them from being locked in cages for years. But it seems pretty dodgy to talk up the increased loot from the ransom as if it were a positive reason to endorse ending prohibition, doesn't it? Why not stick to the aspects of ending prohibition (like reducing government spending, and, more importantly, not assaulting innocent people and robbing them of years of their life) that are genuine benefits, rather than those that are not?

Kevin Carson - 6/7/2005

If pot were taxed for revenue, it would probably surpass tobacco as the chief target of "vice" taxes. As a result, there'd be a huge black market in untaxed pot, just as there is now for unstamped cigarettes. Probably wouldn't be as big as the present black market in strictly illegal drugs, but there'd still be a big role for organized crime and crooked cops (like there's a difference?).

Keith Halderman - 6/6/2005

Let us try and look at it from the marijuana user's point of view. Which is worse being taxed or being thrown in prison?

Charles Johnson - 6/4/2005

Why is "raising" government "revenue" through taxation a good thing?

If it turned out that the government could solve all of its revenue woes by, say, picking out some wealthy minority (say, Christian televangelists), seizing all their assets and all the money in their bank accounts, and using the proceeds to pay down outstanding debts, would that make it a worthwhile policy?