Like I said, I've seen it both ways, but I've never seen a definitive study done by a respected economist and I'd be interested in that.
Thread Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011
- Thread starter eileenbunny
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Like I said, I've seen it both ways, but I've never seen a definitive study done by a respected economist and I'd be interested in that.
Well, you see, it depends on how much you want to take into account. Unemployment payments? New cases of people needing aid because of loss of job? Time and effort to enforce the new laws? Creating an agency to handle licensing?
The reason I've seen both is because I've seen what the people who want to block this have to say. It's not all about people being puritanical and believing drugs are bad mmmkay. Most of the reasons are purely financial and a little bit political just like everything else.
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The federal government is prohibited from passing ex post facto laws by clause 3 of Article 1 section 9 of the Constitution and the states are prohibited by clause 1 of Article 1 section 10.
Either way, I don't think the marijuana issue will ever be resolved while the baby boomers are alive because the views each side has is just insane. You cannot get anyone from that time period to sit down and do the logical thing. You'll have conservatives going hells no and hippie scum being hells yes and neither one will budge on the issue.
if you were capable of a thought not involving cats or buttsechs you might have figured it out on your own
Give me an example of someone who is in jail for just regular old weed alone. I'm not talking a dealer amount.
Give me an example of someone who is in jail for just regular old weed alone. I'm not talking a dealer amount. Almost everyone who is was because they were dealing, or under the influence and driving, or was committing another crime and had it one them..
Most states (except NY and NC) simple possession of marijuana isn't even a felony, usually it's a fine.
This is closest thing I could find to a statistic. It includes possession with intent to sell and it lumps all drugs together though. Still less people than for alcohol offenses.
http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/dcf/correct.cfm
The problem is that it is hard to get these statistics especially since laws vary so widely from state to state. For example, possession of up to 100 grams of marijuana is just a possession charge in Ohio, but here in Maryland that is considered possession with intent to distribute (anything over 28 grams is in Maryland). Some states have medical marijuana laws while others don't. Some states have 3 strikes and you're out laws, like here in Maryland. If you are arrested for possession of marijuana and it is your third arrest for that crime, your sentence will be $3000 in fines and up to 3 years in jail, but no less than 1 year in jail. With laws like that it's not hard to imagine that there are some unlucky folks sitting in jail for simple possession of marijuana. I do doubt it is the overwhelming majority though. You gotta be talented to get arrested for simple possession that often.