Pubdate: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 Source: Lansing State Journal (MI) Copyright: 2003 Lansing State Journal Contact: http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/contactus/newsroom/letter.html Website: http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/232 Author: Kathy Kennedy Webpage: http://www.lsj.com/opinions/letters/030214_kennptv_(pot).html Note: Kathy Kennedy of Onondaga is an activist with "Cures Not Wars." (http://www.cures-not-wars.org/ ) LEGAL POT WOULD BE BUDGET BOON Legalizing cannabis would boost taxes, cut prison costs It seems that the main topic in Michigan is the state budget. I have an easy way to greatly relieve the state's financial stress: End the prohibition against cannabis and release all prisoners whose convictions are for cannabis violations only. Marijuana laws are more harmful than marijuana. The "weed" is already everywhere because the laws don't work. Countries that have legalized smoking pot have reported diminishing problems with drug traffic and corruption. Legalizing cannabis might sound more crazy than easy, but it really would help with the budget problem. When you ask people if marijuana has hurt them, they only say yes if they've been charged with a violation. Those who feel smoking hurts them ... quit smoking. But if you ask someone how marijuana laws have hurt them, get ready for a big response. As a cannabis reform activist, I get to hear everyone's "drug bust story." Entrapment, corruption, theft, wrongful death; these well-intended laws are destroying people's lives. Of course, if marijuana is legalized, it would be available to everyone and that's bad, right? Wrong! It would not be available to everyone unless lawmakers were willing to write laws to guarantee that everyone get a personal supply. More likely, legal cannabis would be taxed and regulated. Right now any high school kid can get a bag of pot without too much trouble, but it's difficult for them to get alcohol because it is legal. So if prohibition isn't working, why are we spending so much money on it? We could get relief from our substance abuse control problems and help Michigan's budget to boot! We are fortunate to be able to look at countries that have legalized cannabis to see what happens. Substance abuse decreases. Violent crime decreases. Families are restored, which has tremendous positive repercussions. Corruption in law enforcement almost disappears, while respect for the law comes back. If we could end cannabis prohibition, we would save that thousands of dollars per year that it costs to keep one prisoner in custody. Now, multiply that figure by the thousands of prisoners who could be released. Those people being with their families would help us at the welfare office - and they'd be taxpayers. Maybe we should take a lesson from the experience of governments that have legalized cannabis. Nah, that's just crazy talk! - --- MAP posted-by: Josh