Did you ever think that smoking pot may just be the fiscally responsible thing to do? This is what proponents of legalizing marijuana in California are suggesting, and they may have just found their winning argument.
In the past, reasons to legalize marijuana have ranged from “it isn’t any more harmful than alcohol” to “it has medical value”. Now, the initiative known as the Tax Cannabis Act is calling to legalize marijuana for recreational use by adults. Therefore, marijuana sales could be taxed which would increase the state’s tax revenue. Opponents of the act say that these tax revenues will be offset by possible increases in crime and violence.
When I look at a state with a $20 billion deficit, it seems like they could use every dollar they can get. Collecting taxes on a good that is already being sold everyday certainly seems like working smarter not harder. Does this mean that I think the state of California and you, the voter, should blindly barge forward? No, like any issue there needs to be further research. Advocates of the ballot measure site that legalizing marijuana could bring $1.4 billion in tax revenue. I know I would feel more comfortable with this figure if more studies and sources were done and provided to support it. However, in the current economic environment, I believe the opponents of the measure are going to have to do better than a war of words to defeat it. They too are going to have to back their words with hard figures in order to convince the voter that there would be no financial benefit of legalizing marijuana.
The measure will be on the ballot this November. Are you going to research the reliability of both sides of the debate before you decide how to vote, or have you already made up your mind?
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