Pubdate: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 Source: Toronto Star (CN ON) Copyright: 2009 The Toronto Star Contact: http://www.thestar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456 Author: Wayne McPhee LEGALIZED POT A NEW TAX SOURCE In past severe economic downturns, governments embraced vice to help stimulate the economy and provide more tax revenue. The U.S. eliminated prohibition in 1933 in the middle of the Great Depression and many Canadian provinces turned to gambling in the early 1990s by adding lotteries and building casinos to create jobs and reduce deficits. This time around, we should be looking at legalizing and taxing marijuana in order to get the revenue out of the hands of criminals, jump start a new segment of the economy, increase tourism and provide much needed tax revenue to balance the books. If nothing else, people will have a legal way of reducing their stress about our economic problems. Wayne McPhee, Toronto - --- MAP posted-by: dan