Students mixed about pot taxes, legalization
A new study examining the economics of pot raises questions about legalization.
Callie Schweitzer
Issue date: 10/18/07 Section: News
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Depression, chronic pain, insomnia, stress.
For these and almost anything else that ails you, an alleged umbrella cure has emerged. It's not a magical pill, Eastern medicine or the latest marvel - it's marijuana.
But a new study shows marijuana's usage goes beyond medicinal; the drug can be helpful in the economic realm as well.
Jon Gettman, a longtime policy analyst who holds a Ph.D. in public policy, has published a new study contending that legalizing marijuana would create tax revenue and save taxpayers millions of dollars. If marijuana were legalized and taxed, similar to alcohol and other commodities, those who use the drug would be paying the taxes, he said.
The study found that the United States is losing $30 million to underground marijuana sales and diverting money from the regional economy, Gettman said.
"Right now, the people who are profiting most, the growers and sellers, are not paying a dime for the problems their industry creates," he said.
College and high school students are the ones most affected by marijuana's illegal status, Gettman said.
"Who do you think gets busted the most? College and high school kids," he said. "The arrest rate for teens or young adults is three or four times higher than the rest of the public."
Gettman said he believes youths working to legalize marijuana is "good citizenship."
"The law hits people who are vulnerable," he said. "College kids need to realize that this affects them as taxpayers down the road."
Gettman was attracted to the cause because, as a teenager, he worked in a drug paraphernalia store for eight years, where he said he discovered the positive effects marijuana can have on sick people.
"I thought I ought to be working on the underlying problem as a matter of social responsibility," he said.
Gettman became the national director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws in 1986 and said he was inspired by the compassion and dedication of those who worked there and fought for people who needed marijuana for medical purposes.
For these and almost anything else that ails you, an alleged umbrella cure has emerged. It's not a magical pill, Eastern medicine or the latest marvel - it's marijuana.
But a new study shows marijuana's usage goes beyond medicinal; the drug can be helpful in the economic realm as well.
Jon Gettman, a longtime policy analyst who holds a Ph.D. in public policy, has published a new study contending that legalizing marijuana would create tax revenue and save taxpayers millions of dollars. If marijuana were legalized and taxed, similar to alcohol and other commodities, those who use the drug would be paying the taxes, he said.
The study found that the United States is losing $30 million to underground marijuana sales and diverting money from the regional economy, Gettman said.
"Right now, the people who are profiting most, the growers and sellers, are not paying a dime for the problems their industry creates," he said.
College and high school students are the ones most affected by marijuana's illegal status, Gettman said.
"Who do you think gets busted the most? College and high school kids," he said. "The arrest rate for teens or young adults is three or four times higher than the rest of the public."
Gettman said he believes youths working to legalize marijuana is "good citizenship."
"The law hits people who are vulnerable," he said. "College kids need to realize that this affects them as taxpayers down the road."
Gettman was attracted to the cause because, as a teenager, he worked in a drug paraphernalia store for eight years, where he said he discovered the positive effects marijuana can have on sick people.
"I thought I ought to be working on the underlying problem as a matter of social responsibility," he said.
Gettman became the national director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws in 1986 and said he was inspired by the compassion and dedication of those who worked there and fought for people who needed marijuana for medical purposes.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Dan
posted 10/18/07 @ 3:18 AM PST
First off,..people can eat marijuana and also vaporize it,and you would not have to smoke it. I would not want my pilot to be stoned,that is correct,. (Continued…)
Richard Steeb
posted 10/18/07 @ 7:29 PM PST
Cannabis prohibition is an abomination. Google "Francis L Young".
A nation with thriving alcohol and tobacco industries has absolutely no moral authority nor rational justification to issue a stern look at ANY adult use of the herb, least of all medicinal use. (Continued…)
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