I was wondering what some benefits would be to the non-smoker should cannabis be legalized. I think only about 30%(???) of the American population smokes cigs and not many people have a problem with people who smoke in their own homes. Cannabis could be taxed or something so non-stoners would like it. Anyone have any idea's on how legalizing weed would benefit someone who has no interest in getting high?
clear the national debt(thanx G-dubs), through income from taxxed marijuana, lets be honest here most people even if they could grow thier own marijuana would rather just have the convience of purchasing it at grocery stores, do you grow your own tomatoes??? The saved expense of jailing and prosecuting non-violent marijuana offenders. Use of alternative fuels, safer paints and chemicals aswell as cheapier and easier ways of making paper. The decreased use of marijuana by minors, drug dealers don't card. The increase in DEAs enforcement on harder drugs (bad or good, depending on your style). And thats just to name a few.
legalizing MJ will keep mj users out of contact from drug dealers-- b/c they can just buy it at a store. Taking the drug dealer out of the equation makes is much more difficult for a mj user to get other drugs. One of the reasons for the "stepping stone" theory is that weed puts one in contact with drug dealers who are part of a druggie community. I believe that legalizing weed will result in a decrease of all of the harder drugs... especially coke + crack.
Someone want to crunch some numbers? Get an average price of our black market marijuana, and compare it to what it could be grown for, then find out how much % of a tax would be needed to bring it close to the current average black market prices.
I think the best idea is that it would make a humongous difference in the illegal drug trade, if i could buy weed at a coffee shop or something I'd have no idea where to buy coke, keeping weed illegal opens up the gateway to the black market. Gangs fund themselfs with weed, and sometimes cut weed down with harsh chemicals. Additionally some stoners may consider turning in people who deal hard drugs. (You should see what meth does to people) People who drink turn in stoners.