making marijuana legal would help US

Lets face it, our country (USA) has many economic problems. One of these problems is that we have a spending deficit in the trillions. Some people may say that how we can fix this is by stopping the war, but we cannot just pull out. Others may think that it would help if government officials would stop monitoring this forum . The solution would be to sell marijuana legally at stores, but make it expensive and give it a FAT tax (around 2.00 per gram). This would balance our deficit, and it would still probobly be cheeper then the current illegal sellers. Also the only reason why so many people smoke weed is because it is illegal. People want stuff they cant have, then less people would smoke weed and everyone would be happy.

IMO if weed is legalized, im pretty sure that pot smokers will increase because ''hey its legal now, it cant be ''bad'', and if this happens, and if they market it well (with catchy ads and you stress the fact that it ''not worse than alcohol'') the government could make money by taxing its sale in drugstores, bars, conveniences stores, etc.

And yes it would definitly help the economy. Its a whole new market opening, Pothouses and coffee shops will spawn everywhere , a underground culture will become mainstream, the government will generate money. It cant be bad.

"illegal sellers", that is people doing what has been a persons right since time began, could just sell it cheaper without the costs of labour and such, not to mention taxes. Not that I think it isn't a good idea, here in Canada, if it were legal our debt would be gone in a year or so - but when it was tried the government took over the growing and the result was skunkweed that wasn't worth the baggie they put it in.

Most users returned the government crap and went back to the street dealers because, well, theirs didn't suck. If the government were to do this, first they would have to know how to grow the stuff, secondly admitt the were wrong, and then be in a position to be liable for all crimes they have committed in the name of reffer madness.

Marc Emery has a list of 10 or 12 things that the federal government has to accept before he stops his fight with the government. Including the release of any people jailed for marijuana offences, all property returned that was illegally siezed, and no doubt some form of monetary retribution for jailing, and stealing, and generally making criminals out of normal people.

It is just a flower people.

BS moonchild, you think if crack were legalized that you would see a surge in its consumption? The amount consumed by current users might increase but I doubt whether a large and noticable amount would join. Companies still have drug policies that they abide by strenuously.

Weed would be hard to regulate as people prefer to grow their own (as of now it is hard to regulate). Substance control is a joke. If politician and the like are really so righteous to stop gang (related) violence and addiction, they would legalize the herb. But like most of the issues decided and voted on, their judgement comes from a corporations pocket book not their moral throws.

If I smoke weed, it would be because it is killer for the creativity and because it would make me feel all warm and fuzzy!

As for marijuana becoming legal, I have no probs with that, except one thing: if the gov regulated it, the quality would fall through the floor (excepting those cases of homegrown).

I hate sin taxes. Maybe to be fair, we should put an ungodly tax on cheeseburgers everywhere! Wait - that would kill me before the colestoral would!!!