Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana

Current Situation
Marijuana is essentially legal in several states
Marijuana is NOT taxed in its current "legal" form
In the form of sales tax
Marijuana possession is a misdemeanor
Based on the amount of Marijuana one is carrying
Marijuana legislation has been rejected by California voters in 2010, however plans for the bill to be on the ballot for 2012 are in motion.

The End
Questions?

Areas in the world with marijuana legislation

PRO ARGUMENT
1. Medical Benefits:
Proponents cite that the usage of marijuana can be effective treatments for the symptoms of cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma and even epilepsy.
The California Medical association which represents over 30,000 physicians have now endorsed proposition 19 and the legalization of marijuana.

Uses of Marijuana for treatment of medical conditions.

PRO ARGUMENT
2. Revenue generation:
a. Taxes to provide revenue for the state.
b. Competitive pricing within marijuana market will generate revenue for businesses.
c. Regulation will be very strict among consumers as to keep abusers in check and the production for the private sector.

PRO ARGUMENT:
The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition:
by Jeffrey A. Miron, Econ Professor Harvard Uni.
Economist Jeffrey Miron published a study for the economic benefits of marijuana legalization.
The report estimates that legalizing marijuana would save $7.7 billion per year in government spending on enforcement of prohibition.
This study reflects the impacts on marijuana alone and excludes the enforcement and policies of other drugs.

PRO ARGUMENT:
Miron estimates that legalizing marijuana could save $7.7 billion per year on marijuana enforcement.
$5.3 billion of this savings would fund other state and local budgets, $2.4 billion would return back to the federal government.

PRO ARGUMENT:
The report also estimates that marijuana legalization would yield tax revenue of $2.4 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like all other goods and $6.2 billion annually if marijuana were taxed at rates comparable to those on alcohol and tobacco.

Study on the revenue estimates at creating a state regulated marijuana market.

PRO ARGUMENT:
Addressing issues of a Con Counter Argument:
The regulation of marijuana will be strict enough to equate the consumption of marijuana to that of alcohol and tobacco.
The state would regulate and tax the products making it more likely that the industry will be privatized.
Legislation has also stated that production of marijuana must abide by the same rules as producers of alcohol and tobacco.
Driving under the influence sentences and fines should also be increased to deter accidents and drug related injuries.

3. Benefits of creating a New Hemp industry
a. Create a new market, result in new jobs
b. Saves California's Forests
PRO ARGUMENT

PRO ARGUMENT:
Addressing issues of a Con Counter Argument: Economics-
Agriculture can surge from the legalization of marijuana as well as farmers can benefit from the new market and grow new crops.
The American farmer is a dying profession and a much needed one.
To legalize marijuana would help revive America's agriculture industry and decrease imports of agriculture from other countries.
Causing more agriculture to be home grown american products with the new revenue for the industry from legalization.

PRO ARGUMENT:
4. Law enforcement impact:
Local law enforcement spends millions of dollars on marijuana enforcement and arrests.
Marijuana related charges and now defined by the law as mostly misdemeanors and petty crimes.
Petty crime offenders are put into jails in general population among hardened criminals, being influenced by harder criminals leading to a life of crime.
Legalizing marijuana can put thousands of drug dealers out of work and reduce marijuana revenue for illegal criminal activity.

*Law enforcement can benefit greatly from spending resources on other crime areas. Criminal resources against marijuana are more costly to the state and does not justify the end result. The war of drugs has become a losing battle

Study on the amount of seizures law enforcement spends on marijuana activity.

PRO ARGUMENT:
Counter Argument: Economics-
Reports on the economics potential of a regulated marijuana market has been estimated to be over $100 billion dollars yearly by the Dept of HHS. (reported by CNBC)
Economist Jeffrey Miron estimates the revenue potential to be around $14 billion annually.
Easy to project that the monetary potential could be somewhere in the middle.

CON ARGUMENTS: ECONOMICS
Marijuana in its current state has a high profit margin
roughly selling at $8.60 per half gram
roughly produced at $1.70 per half gram
Farmers will be enticed to produce this crop
Could affect the price of other crops

Intoxicated Driving
Marijuana affects your ability to drive and operate machinery
Similar to alcohol
For every mile driven by a drunk driver above the legal limit of .08 BAC the cost to is $2.50
including $.80 to people other than the drunk driver

CON ARGUMENTS: POLITICAL
High or intoxicated driving
danger for the public
reaction time and the ability to make the right decision
no way of testing for someone being high

CON ARGUMENTS

CON ARGUMENTS
Second hand smoke
involuntarily exposed to second hand smoking everyday will increase.
Bad consequence for the health of non-smoking people

CON ARGUMENTS

CON ARGUMENTS
Gateway drug
Introduction to drug-using behavior
We can’t allow the legalisation of another gateway drug

COUNTER ARGUMENT
Regulation and taxation of marijuana appears benificial when viewed from a monetary perspective.
The cost is in a form dangers
to oneself
to other people
Cost include
Medical
Marijuana also increases health risks
Insurances

Conclusion
Taxation and regulation of marijuana is totally in the best interest of the republic from a economist's perspective
However, this comes at a cost of potential danger to the public