I've Got Your Economic Stimulus: Go GREEN (and I ain't talking about energy)

--I’ve got your economic stimulus right here. I’ve got the answer. And if this answer is wrong, at least everyone will be a lot mellower.

--Maybe you’ve already figured it out, but I think the way to come out of this recession (ESPECIALLY in the South) is the legalization of marijuana. First, think of all the jobs! Everyone is going to want a piece of the new “pot”-pie. Factories would pop up across the southeast like tobacco plants back in the day. Farms would pop up all over the place too. High schoolers and college students could spend their summers making money on the pot farm…nice. Also, believe me when I say this: once marijuana is legalized, lots more people will smoke it, leading to more production, more jobs and more money. The government would benefit as well...obviously…they would see to this. Instead of spending money on the war on drugs, how about making some money from the taxes on legalized pot? Taxes on marijuana would most likely work just like taxes on alcohol and tobacco; the government would benefit greatly. Now for you serious pot-heads out there who smoke the stuff that makes you as useful and mobile as a pet rock…you may still have to go off the books to get your hash. It will be kind of like moonshine is to alcohol. The “good stuff” may still be illegal, but hey, let’s take this one step at a time.

--The Great Depression ended in the winter of 1932-1933. The government just happened to end Prohibition in 1933…coincidence? Maybe, but it’s worth considering. The bottom line to me is that the legalization of marijuana would drive commerce. People would be pumped, would they not? They would be going nuts for the idea of legalized pot. Shopping lists would be able to legally read as follows: “pick up eggs, bread, milk, fruit roll-ups, bananas, light bulbs, laundry detergent, batteries, and pot…and doughnuts, and chicken wings, and cookies, and pizza bagels, and brownie mix, and more doughnuts.”

--Again, the bottom line is that the decriminalization of marijuana would create jobs at factories and on farms. It would relieve some of the pressure on law enforcement officers who are constantly forced by the government to fight in the war on drugs. It would cause more spending. Look at how much Americans spend on tobacco and alcohol. And lastly, I’m not happy about this one, but the government could tax legal marijuana, and they could get the hell out of my wallet with their other ridiculous taxes.

--Now, I don’t want to spend too much time on what I see as our completely over-bearing and over-active government because that brings up different arguments altogether…but I believe marijuana should have been legal all along. The government must respect our rights to privacy. I don’t believe it’s their job to correct our bad habits; they should instead turn to society and families to do this. The founders of this great nation had the right idea. They didn’t even think about adding a Bill of Rights to the Constitution in the beginning, because they thought it was unnecessary. A Bill of Rights could actually be harmful, because it would suggest that any rights not explicitly spelled out in the constitution were not valid. Folks, the forefathers of this nation believed the government should stay out of our privacy, and out of our lives. I’m sorry if you think that’s debatable, because it’s not. It’s also non-partisan. It’s history.

--So what does all of this mean? It means that our nation was set up in a way to give us maximum freedoms and maximum rights WITH maximum consequences if you can’t handle these freedoms and rights responsibility without imposing on the rights of others. With that, it’s time to look at some of the reasons marijuana isn’t legal yet. The main argument thrown back at us by senators and congressmen is that the THC content is higher these days…it’s too strong…it’s a gateway drug, and it will lead to more illicit activities. Stronger these days? Yes. Should that change things? I don’t think so. First of all, if it leads to the use of more illicit drugs by some, so be it. With freedom comes responsibility. As long as these users don’t impose upon the rights of others, it’s their business. If these users did engage in other illicit activities, then they would be arrested and put to trial.

--The Drug Enforcement Administration claimed in their 2006 pamphlet “Speaking Out Against Drug Legalization” that legalization of pot would cause more crime…they claimed this and did not at all prove it with facts or figures. I can tell you what I’ve seen though. The people I’ve been around who have smoked marijuana wouldn’t want to (and in some cases be able to) assault or harm a butterfly. Secondly, if they did commit more crimes (most likely the theft of tasty pastries and fried goods)…they would be arrested. So to the DEA, I say, you are all idiots. Something tells me, our law enforcement agencies could handle the “increased crime.” And I argue crime would ABSOLUTELY lessen if we legalized pot and other illicit drugs, but we don’t have time for that today.

--Another of the DEA’s primary arguments against the legalization of cannabis is that people would then use more cannabis…really? Guess what idiots? If, for some reason, hamburgers were illegal and then they were legalized…the usage of hamburgers would increase.

--Lastly, you should take this argument from me seriously because I am 150% behind the legalization of pot and I am not a user, just as I am not a user of tobacco. Alcohol? Yes I drink Miller Lite and occasionally I’ll pretend I’m John Wayne and have some whiskey...responsibly. I believe all three of these drugs should be legal and people should make their decisions as they see fit. It’s the American thing to do.