...because not only am I NOT fuming at Froma Harrop's typical wrongheadedness, I actually agree with every single word she writes here:
Legalizing marijuana would save billions of dollars
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California's costs of enforcing the marijuana ban — policing, the courts, jail time — at $981 million a year. Nationally, legalizing marijuana would save $7.7 billion a year on drug-war spending, according to Miron. And it could raise $6.2 billion annually in tax revenues.
A vain hope rose that President Obama's naming of Gil Kerlikowske as drug czar would lead to a more rational policy on drugs. As Seattle's police chief, Kerlikowske oversaw the city's annual Hempfest (a giant and mellow smoke-in) without bothering the celebrants.
But Kerlikowske announced this month that “marijuana is dangerous and has no medicinal benefit.” And to end any idea that the hip, liberal Obama administration would ease up on pot, he added, “Legalization is not in the president's vocabulary, and it's not in mine.”
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A bill to “tax and regulate” marijuana like alcohol now before the California legislature has strong support. But it's not going anywhere as long as “legalization” is not in Obama's vocabulary. The word “hypocrisy” has apparently made the cut.
Yep, that's pretty much the long and short of it. One would think as enlightened libertarian types, the people in charge would start trying to pull us out of this Reefer Madness mentality. I guess it just goes to show you they're every bit the closed-minded authoritarian pricks they proclaim conservatives to be.
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