Does anyone pay attention to the bad choices and ensuing bad habits of a free and democratic people? Been there, done that, learned not to do it again??? Let me enlighten you on those snarky questions by summarizing the cyclic patterns of tolerance and restraint in American attitudes toward drug use.
In the 1880's, opiates were welcomed as an ideal tonic, and large numbers of Americans became addicted. By 1890, the image of such drugs had changed. By 1900, cocaine and opiates had come to be viewed as dangerous drugs; subsequently, their use declined largely as a result of disillusionment with initial claims about the drugs and growing awareness of the effects on individuals and their families.
The first major national narcotics law, the Harrison Act of 1914, was intended to curb recreational drug use and non-medical addiction. Contemporaneous with growing concerns about the drug problem were the imposition of State and local controls on narcotics, a search for a cure for addiction, and the establishment of narcotics clinics.
In 1930, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics was established, international anti-drug activities were initiated, and controls on cannabis were implemented. Between World War II and 1970, strong legal sanctions against drug abuse were established. Strong reactions to sanctions eventually yielded considerable responsibility for control to physicians and mental health professionals.
From 1965 till now, toleration of drug use increased, along with calls for legalization of marijuana. Now you know a bit about America’s fascination with drugs. So, here we are... 2014 and the debate is not much of a debate,but a foregone conclusion that marijuana will be the next harmful pastime to be legalized.
FROM THE UNITED STATES WHITE HOUSE – OFFICIAL POLICY STATEMENT: Marijuana is a topic of significant public discourse in the United States, and while many are familiar with the discussions, it is not always easy to find the latest, research-based information on marijuana to answer to the common questions about its health effects, or the differences between Federal and state laws concerning the drug. Confusing messages being presented by popular culture, media, proponents of “medical” marijuana, and political campaigns to legalize all marijuana use perpetuate the false notion that marijuana is harmless. This significantly diminishes efforts to keep our young people drug free and hampers the struggle of those recovering from addiction. (Excerpt from the The White House website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/ondcp-fact-sheets/marijuana-legalization)
Regardless of your personal feelings about legalizing marijuana, it's hard to deny that legal weed would be a bonanza for cash-strapped states, just as tobacco and alcohol already are.
With Colorado and Washington starting to tax and regulate recreational weed sales, and medical marijuana legal in 20 other states, we can finally start to put some hard numbers on the industry's value. That’s the real lure... its value. Marijuana is the ultimate “cash crop.”
Numbers like these...
$1.53 billion: The amount the national legal marijuana market is worth, according to a Nov. 2013 report from ArcView Market Research, a San Francisco-based investor group focused on the marijuana industry.
$10.2 billion: The estimated amount the national legal marijuana market will be worth in five years, according to that same ArcView report.
$6.17 million: The amount of tax revenue collected in Colorado on legal marijuana sales in just the first two months of 2014.
$184 million: The total tax revenue that Colorado will reap in the first fiscal year of collecting taxes on Weed. Much higher than expected.
$40 million: The amount of marijuana tax revenue Colorado is devoting to public school construction.
7,500-10,000: The estimated number of marijuana industry jobs that currently exist in Colorado, according to Michael Elliott, the Executive Director of the Marijuana Industry Group, a trade association that advocates for responsible marijuana regulation.
$190 million: The amount in taxes and fees legal marijuana is projected to raise for the state of Washington over four years starting in mid-2015, according to the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council, an independent agency that advises the state government on the budget and tax revenue.
$105 million: The estimated annual sales tax revenue generated by medical marijuana dispensaries in California, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington, D.C.-based group that supports legalization.
$142.19 million: The estimated size of the medical marijuana market in Arizona in 2014, according to the ArcView Market Research report, up from $35.37 million last year. Arizona has a record 80 medical pot dispensaries currently open, with more expected to open this year, according to AZMarijuana.com.
$142.19 million: The estimated size of the medical marijuana market in Arizona in 2014, according to the ArcView Market Research report, up from $35.37 million last year. Arizona has a record 80 medical pot dispensaries currently open, with more expected to open this year, according to AZMarijuana.com.
$36 million: The amount of estimated tax revenue Maine would earn every year if it legalized and regulated marijuana, according to a 2013 estimate from the Marijuana Policy Project. Portland, Maine's largest city, voted to legalize weed in November, and a grassroots campaign to get state legalization on the ballot in 2016 is underway.
$21.5 to $82 million: The amount of estimated tax revenue Rhode Island would earn every year if it legalized and regulated marijuana, according to an April 9 report from the non-profit organization Open Doors. Rhode Island legislators are considering a bill this session that would tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol.
$134.6 million: The amount of estimated tax revenue Maryland would earn every year if it legalized and regulated marijuana, according to a 2014 estimate from the Maryland Department of Legislative Services. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley signed a law legalizing medical marijuana on April 14, and state lawmakers are considering a bill this session to legalize weed for recreational purposes, too.
$17.4 billion: The estimated total amount that marijuana prohibition costs state and federal governments every year, according to a 2010 study by Harvard University economist Jeffrey Miron.
Here’s a bit of bone-headed logic... Marijuana begins with “M”... Money begins with “M” so it’s natural for the two to become soul mates, right!? No one cares about you or your teens or the physical and psychological well-being of America... not when two M’s come together to make piles and piles of MONEY!
Think about this... Why would American views shift so dramatically on the use of marijuana? I expect the reason is because people have seen marijuana use in their own lives and those of others, see it as relatively harmless, see its benefits (medical and recreational) and have changed their minds based on the accumulating evidence.
I wonder what God thinks of this smoldering situation?
More to come on just that very question in the coming days, until then... Walk Upright before the Lord.
