Can Marijuana Help Rescue California's Economy?

Buzz Mills

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Can Marijuana Help Rescue California's Economy?

Could marijuana be the answer to the economic misery facing California? Democratic State Assembly member Tom Ammiano thinks so. Ammiano introduced legislation last month that would legalize pot and allow the state to regulate and tax its sale - a move that could mean billions for the cash-strapped state. Pot is, after all, California's biggest cash crop, responsible for $14 billion in annual sales, dwarfing the state's second largest agricultural commodity - milk and cream - which brings in $7.3 billion annually, according to the most recent USDA statistics. The state's tax collectors estimate the bill would bring in about $1.3 billion in much-needed revenue a year, offsetting some of the billions in service cuts and spending reductions outlined in the recently approved state budget.

"The state of California is in a very, very precipitous economic plight. It's in the toilet," says Ammiano. "It looks very, very bleak, with layoffs and foreclosures and schools closing or trying to operate four days a week. We have one of the highest rates of unemployment we've ever had. With any revenue ideas people say you have to think outside of the box, you have to be creative, and I feel that the issue of the decriminalization, regulation and taxation of marijuana fits that bill. It's not new, the idea has been around, and the political will may in fact be there to make something happen." (See pictures from stoner cinema.)

Ammiano may be right. A few days after he introduced the bill, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that states should be able to make their own rules on medical marijuana and that federal raids on pot dispensaries in California would cease. The move signaled a softening of the hard-line approach previous administrations have had to medicinal pot use. The nomination of Gil Kerlikowske as the head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy may also signal a softer federal line on marijuana. If he is confirmed as the so-called Drug Czar, Kerlikowske will bring with him experience as police chief of Seattle, where he made it clear that going after people for posessing marijuana was not a priority of his force.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20090313/us_time/08599188495600
 
Legalizing mary jane and taxing and monitoring it like alcohol would be one of the smartest things we could do economically. That's just a fact. Now because it has been illegal for so long, many people have a moral issue with it and so this is unlikely to happen very soon.

If I were Queen of the USA, I would make alcohol illegal and legalize pot! But no one voted me in, so y'all are safe from my craziness! (For now.....)
 
Well Buzz you know that I agree with this. Our economy here in CA is bad and getting worse by the minute. this recent budget debacle and outrageous tax hike is an embarrassment.
It's like having a store that is going under and the solution is to raise prices to bring things in the black.

The better answer is to cut spending and find other revenue streams..like selling pot LOL.
 
Well Buzz you know that I agree with this. Our economy here in CA is bad and getting worse by the minute. this recent budget debacle and outrageous tax hike is an embarrassment.
It's like having a store that is going under and the solution is to raise prices to bring things in the black.

The better answer is to cut spending and find other revenue streams..like selling pot LOL.
JBeanya, if we could get Arnold to mandate that E-verify be used by all employers, for all employees. A couple of million citizens could get off of unemployment, even welfare, and go to work. It's as simple as that. and we could give away free bus tickets (we'll make a special deal with the bus companies) to Mexico.
 
Legalizing mary jane and taxing and monitoring it like alcohol would be one of the smartest things we could do economically. That's just a fact. Now because it has been illegal for so long, many people have a moral issue with it and so this is unlikely to happen very soon.

If I were Queen of the USA, I would make alcohol illegal and legalize pot! But no one voted me in, so y'all are safe from my craziness! (For now.....)
scm, I would vote for you....we want CHANGE!
 
JBeanya, if we could get Arnold to mandate that E-verify be used by all employers, for all employees. A couple of million citizens could get off of unemployment, even welfare, and go to work. It's as simple as that. and we could give away free bus tickets (we'll make a special deal with the bus companies) to Mexico.
I working on the tax revolt right now and a piece of legislature to stabilize the economy. But after that I'll start working on Arnold for that.
 
If we could just get all of the illegals to go home, we could save a lot of money, just by supporting them there, rather than paying the cost of having them here, taking American jobs.
 
If we could just get all of the illegals to go home, we could save a lot of money, just by supporting them there, rather than paying the cost of having them here, taking American jobs.
Oh Buzz don't I know it.
Especially now those jobs are uber valuable because no one can get any work at all. Don't even get me going on the benefits and tax dollars.

what mess!
 
I working on the tax revolt right now and a piece of legislature to stabilize the economy. But after that I'll start working on Arnold for that.
let me know if I can do anything to help you; I probably have an email list of all CA Democratic legislators
 
let me know if I can do anything to help you; I probably have an email list of all CA Democratic legislators
sorry Buzz..I want ALL the legislators recalled. That's also what I am working on.
 
If it doesn't stimulate the economy, at least users will be mellow about the situation. :)
 
Well sure --- and while we are at it, can we grow poppies in California? Because that really works well for the people and the economy of other countries.
 
If it doesn't stimulate the economy, at least users will be mellow about the situation. :)

Of course it will stimulate the economy. You know they will get the munchies and have to eat everything in sight.:crazy:
 
Well sure --- and while we are at it, can we grow poppies in California? Because that really works well for the people and the economy of other countries.
Afghanistan produces about 94% of the world's supply of opium. What's funny is that opium production, was almost down to zero, when the Taliban were ruling. Oh what a difference eight years can make.
 
Legalizing mary jane and taxing and monitoring it like alcohol would be one of the smartest things we could do economically. That's just a fact. Now because it has been illegal for so long, many people have a moral issue with it and so this is unlikely to happen very soon.

If I were Queen of the USA, I would make alcohol illegal and legalize pot! But no one voted me in, so y'all are safe from my craziness! (For now.....)
i would too lol .. i personally dont smoke it i cant for health reasons anyway . but id rather put up with a stoner than a damn drunk lol ..at work i have to put up with so much of that people walking in the truck stop drunk in the middle of the night vomiting all over the bathrooms which i get to clean up .. i seriously hate that part of my job ..then it takes them 5 minutes to get thier money out of thier wallets cuz they stand there and try to get it out and stagger all over ..did i say i cant stand drunks ? lol and getting an old beer breath in the face makes me want to throw up right there ..
 

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