On November 2, California voters will have the opportunity to legalize marijuana for people 21 or older. Proposition 19 divides voters, some believing legalizing it is against Federal Law and will do no good for our state, while others believe it could hold answers to California's budget crisis.
Many prop. 19 supporters emphasize how legalizing marijuana in California will greatly reduce the amount of drug crimes related to marijuana, as well as take power out of the hands of the Mexican rug cartels. In addition, taxes imposed on marijuana will create an enormous amount of money that will help lift our state out of debt.
"It's impossible to predict how much Prop 19 could really change things, but perhaps the best test case would be the city of Oakland. There, commercial pot production has been taxed since 2005, sold among four licensed dispensaries operating downtown. But crime hasn't gone up in Oakland as a result; there aren't glassy-eyed potheads asleep on benches around every bend. In fact, regulation has done something of the opposite: licensed "coffee shops" have lured new business to the area, and the $2 million in taxes that's expected to come in this year, according to the city's tax administrator, will go toward things like filling potholes, renovating parks, and funding recreation centers. "The reality," says Richard Lee, a local entrepreneur (and Prop 19's primary sponsor), "is [that] we're creating jobs, improving the city, filling empty store spaces, and when people come down here to Oakland, they can see that."
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/10/25/prop-19-making-pot-legal-in-california.html#comments
No comments:
Post a Comment