My Opinion of Legalizing Marijuana

I've been seeing a lot in the news lately about state governments wanting to legalize marijuana and other recreational drugs. They think by doing so, they will be able to generate tax revenue from sales of these drugs, as well as reduce spending for the battle against drug dealers. While I don't use any illegal drugs myself, I've always been for legalizing marijuana, for the same reasons politicians and others are now espousing. Additionally, I think it would stop a great deal of violence caused by the illicit drug market, by taking the profits away from drug dealers who fight with one another to control drug trade.

That being said, I do not see how our nations' politicians, state or federal, with any good conscience, can promote legalizing any type of illegal drugs, just to raise tax money. They have all but ruined the tobacco industry, through state lawsuits, extreme taxation, and most recently by putting them under the control of the FDA. I'm not arguing the case that any of these measures were bad, or unjustified. However, how could the same politicians argue for legalizing drugs, (many of which are much more harmful than tobacco products), just to raise money, when that is the very reason they vilified the tobacco industry. Basically what they are proposing to do is legalize several addictive drugs, whereby they would take advantage of the people who are addicted to them, to raise money to fund their pork barrel projects and promote their own political agendas. This is different from the tobacco companies, HOW?

The truth is, it is worse than what the tobacco companies did. The tobacco companies were run by business people trying to make a profit, not by elected "Public Servants." Take in to consideration too, that smoking one joint of marijuana has been compared to smoking a pack of cigarettes, as far as the damage it does to your lungs. If it were legalized and packaged like cigarettes, I have no doubts that some people would smoke a pack a day, which would roughly compare to a smoker smoking two cartons of cigarettes in one day. There are people now who will let their electricity be shut off, fail to pay rent or let their children go without basic necessities, just to buy their drugs. If they are legalized, how much worse will it be? Not to mention the long term health effects of over-indulgence in these type of recreational drugs.

While I do still support legalizing marijuana, to collect tax dollars, take the money away from drug dealers and to free up law enforcements time for more serious pursuits, I don't see any good way for this to happen. If the state or federal governments do pass such legislation, then in all good conscience, they should return all of the money they received from suing the major tobacco companies. If the government does not allow private business to take advantage of addicts and promote unhealthy or downright poisonous products, then why would they think it is O.K. for them to engage in such practices. Not to mention, who would they get to produce the stuff? Any company thinking about such a move would have to take in to consideration what has happened to big tobacco. They would surely be setting themselves up for major lawsuits, somewhere down the road. Doesn't sound like a very promising business going in.

So, before we jump in to legalizing a bunch of recreational drugs, to raise money to save our states, maybe we should look at the possibility of electing state and federal officials who are more responsible with the tax dollars they all ready collect.