Legalize Pot and Tax it

The state of Colorado has decriminalized medical marijuana,  yet the Federal government is still harassing people engaged legally in that business, despite President Obama's commitment not to do that.

In response,  an initiative has been put on Colorado's ballot for this November that would legalize marijuana use without conditions. Polls indicate this initiative has a good chance of passing with voters.

The so-called 'War on Drugs' is a joke. Marijuana remains illegal in most places,  but its not called weed for nothing.  You can get it anywhere. Why not sell it legally and tax it, so that the government gets money from it, rather than criminal drug purveyors.    Those addicted to hard drugs could be treated at a fraction of the cost of the police, the courts, and the prison system required right now to catch, prosecute, and incarcerate drug offenders. Billions of dollars are pissed away annually, policing the drug trade.  The drug war has been going on for decades without putting even a dent into the public's use of marijuana and other drugs.

The medical evidence suggests that marijuana, at a minimum, is safer to use than alcohol. There are plenty of studies that affirm this, including one that just came out that reports marijuana as an effective treatment adjunct for some forms of cancer.

Polls consistently show the public is ready to see the drug war end.  More and more states are taking the half-measure of legalizing medical marijuana. 

So, where is the money coming from to resist the decriminalization of weed?  Turns out, its a lot of folks whose personal interests are threatened by free access to cannabis. 

1. International drug traffickers

2. Liquor and tobacco producers and distributors

3. Corporations that run private prisons for hire by state governments

4.  Police and prison guard unions

5.  Federal government employees whose jobs are directly tied to the 'War on Drugs'

It's time to turn the use of marijuana from something that costs society billions of dollars annually and ruins countless lives, into something that can generate substantial tax dollars to benefit local, state, and the Federal government.

Here is a link to a brief presentation by Judge Jim Gray, a Republican appointed conservative, talking about the need to decriminalize marijuana. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6t1EM4Onao