DrugSense
posted on October 12, 2012 by
US WA: Editorial: Pondering The Side Effects Of Legalizing
The Daily News, 10 Oct 2012 – While the Editorial Board of The Daily News has yet to take a position on Initiative 502, the Washington ballot measure that would legalize recreational – or at least "non-medical" – use of marijuana, we met Tuesday with two men who have: * State Attorney General Rob McKenna, this year’s Republican candidate for governor.
posted on October 4, 2012 by
US WA: Editorial: Regulation, Taxation Of Marijuana Worth A Try
Spokesman-Review, 02 Oct 2012 – States have always been the laboratories of democracy, but few have tried to legalize marijuana so it can be regulated and taxed. That’s because Congress adopted a law more than five decades ago that treats pot the same as heroin. The prohibition of marijuana has failed — just as the one on alcohol did — but it is swept up in the "war on drugs." Marijuana use is widespread despite being driven underground. As with Prohibition, those making huge profits are gangsters who ruthlessly protect their turf. Gangsters in the 1930s were put out of business by legalizing the sale of alcohol. That can happen with marijuana, too.
posted on October 1, 2012 by
US WA: In Our View: Legalizing Taxing Marijuana Endorsed
The Columbian, 30 Sep 2012 – Prohibition of marijuana has failed as miserably as prohibition of alcohol did back in the 1920s. It’s time to recognize the obvious: The longer we fight the war against marijuana, the greater grows the defeat.Initiative 502 on the Nov. 6 ballot would legalize recreational use of marijuana, which would be highly taxed and heavily regulated by the state. Licensed farmers would grow marijuana to be sold in private marijuana-only stores. The Columbian endorses Initiative 502 for many reasons, not the least of which is financial. I-502 offers Washingtonians the chance to radically change how we react to marijuana, from wasting $211 million over the past decade enforcing marijuana laws, to creating a revenue stream of more than $500 million annually via a 25 percent excise tax (plus other taxes) on legal marijuana sales.
