Marijuana legalization

@futilevoice Said

I think all drugs should be legal in this country.
The people who will buy it are already buying it. The people that won't buy it now, will not buy it when it's legal.
So little will change, except the crime rate will drop dramatically. The Mexican cartels can stop fighting each other, and this country can tax the hell out of it just like they do cigarettes.

@hoppy Said

"Tax the hell out of it" won't solve a thing. Mex drug cartels will smuggle it in and sell it a bit cheaper. It won't even slow down the crime rate.

@chaski Said

People can probably grow better marijuana here in the USA so would under cut the Mexican business. This is already being done in many states.

Using alcohol and prohibition as a model, it is pretty clear that once it is LEGAL then it WILL NOT be criminal, thus reducing the crime rate. Legitimate businesses would not use violence to gain territory. Why... because the growth and sale would be LEGAL.

Conservatives might actually be happy the reduction in government agencies, court expenses, prison expenses, regulations... while increasing revenue.

The major tobacco companies are already ready (and have been for years) to begin production as such a level that smuggling marijuana into the US would be worthless.

Businesses would be started from large scale operations like brewing companies to smaller scale specialty shops.

Then there would be the possible use of fibers in everything from rope to clothing (already being done in other parts of the world). Plant based polymers that could replace some petroleum plastics (already being done in other parts of the world).

Etc.