Imagine stumbling into a small shop in a quaint tourist-town with an abundance of Marijuana paraphernalia along with an abundance of various types and grades of actual marijuana available according to brand name and quality labeling. Now imagine an additional sub-section in Wal-Mart stores, Safeway markets, Target superstores, commercial grocery, gift shop, supermarket, and eventually every remaining superstore and department store and party / event centers providing these brand name products. Like every other product, of course, quality brand names with be accompanied alongside lesser priced, more affordable, though weaker-grade store-made brands.
Legalization of Marijuana and its fiscal benefits
Advocate marijuana usage or not, this article is not intended to sway agreement in either favor, but instead to recognize that this economic flow already exists. Here’s the true problem with the current transaction: it has not become commercially widespread, so therefore taxation of this readily available product has still not been enforced. Why are so many other, much more harmful sedatives, stimulants, and even hallucinogens broadly available from so-called online prescription, in grocery stores and the rest of these same stores listed above?
Acceptance and Taxation will benefit Society
After the Great Depression throughout the 1930’s, Alcohol Prohibition was lifted, femininity become more understood, men and women of various ethnicities began to grow more widely acknowledged and accepted (even more so within the turbulence of the 1970’s, in terms of both women’s suffrage and ethnic acceptance, making the 1930’s Part I to the Part II of this more recent time period, if you will), and this change happened for the better of society.
Rather than placing any emphasis on the Great Depression or comparing that rough spot historically to this World-wide economic recession we are currently facing (these crises are worlds apart; the economy always goes up and down), the significance of this analogy is to point out the acceptance and the fiscal impact ensued in the taxation of alcohol, a broadly used “recreational drug” that really poses more physical harm, violent destruction, individual psychological damage, and societal injury than the subdued and unobtrusive affectation of marijuana. Yet the laws upheld to not only limit but sternly and, if need be, brutally restrict the use or even advocacy of marijuana holds greater acknowledged significance than the seemingly unconstrained legality of alcohol in public places; go figure that one out.
Current Availability
No matter where I am, where I’ve been, or surely anywhere I may end up, I realize and have realized my entire life where to find marijuana. Marijuana is that broadly available in the United States, but merely hushed for fear of the unwarranted legalization in effect. In fact, if I were to pursue some pot, or a bag of hash, some Hemp, a hooter, some cannabis, Reefer, Ganja, weed, whatever you’d prefer to call it, I could come home tonight with some. It has always been as accessible.
Most importantly, I am not one of the elite or socially privileged or special in any regard; I am “average.” Even though it is not talked about and, therefore, not commonly realized, be honest–we all know where to get some or know of another person or friend who could “score a bag” within a couple hours at the very most. Think about it again, but now keep in mind that the far greater majority of United States citizens are thinking along the exact same lines. Let’s now demonstrate more awareness and acceptance and then ALL reap the benefits of Marijuana Legalization.
Social growth comes with acceptance
Personal note: I am not a marijuana user myself and never actually have been. Sure, I’ve experimented with it to find its usage not to be a resourceful benefit, but that’s my individual experience and personal taste. My opinion is not to deny or otherwise denounce the benefits, either.
In concern to the social influence it may have on young children, I have cautioned my child about marijuana; that’s where the prevention and restriction needs to take place and then end there in this democratic nation. Beside, there are far more fretful LEGAL narcotics to warn him to avoid.
As of right now, “According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the resident population of the United States, projected to 03/16/09 at 21:39 GMT (EST+5) is 306,021,594″ (http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html). A remarkable abundance of those people are marijuana users and producers who elude the system by manufacturing their own income tax-free or otherwise spend their money without paying taxes.
Why should this product continue to ‘go under the radar’ and adamantly avoid legal admissibility, while still sustaining such social acceptance and continue to elude taxation? Legalization of Marijuana and a renewed understanding of “Acceptance” — for more than marijuana alone, too — is what will pull us out of this quite dramatic economic recession the United States has been and still are facing.
The allotment of taxes we all pay is being a contributing member of a society. Legalization of Marijuana will happen, and for the better of society; we all need to live in the now and realize the benefits to come.
Learn about the “Positive vs. Negative liberties in accordance with marijuana reforms” in this brilliant Factoid by JrodN: Should Marijuana be illegal?
This one too: Marijuana myths? Fiction behind facts.
And here: Going green with cannabis
On a different (yet equally as provocative) stance, find out why the “president declared in 2004 that the war on drugs was “an utter failure” (by Jerry Walch, the Home Handyman) here: To legalize or to not legalize marijuana in the US, that is the question
B David Ferrel
