I would like to bring issue with one of the more overlooked aspects of the ‘drug war’, particularly in regards to marijuana prohibition. This is the unnecessary and out right debilitating effect it has on the resources of law enforcement and your hard earned tax dollars. Cannabis Prohibition accounts of 5.54% of all arrests in the United States. The U.S. Government spends $10.7 annually in criminal justice expenses on marijuana prohibition alone.

In 1999, a study showed that 60,000 people were behind bars for a marijuana crime, costing taxpayers an estimated $1.2 billion. In 2002, at least 8,400 state prison inmates served time simply for marijuana possession. Thus, the U.S. Government spends approximately $11.9 billion annually to fight marijuana use. Let us not forget that this is our tax money at work here. This is an outrage and it is the rational citizens duty to fight it. This money could be used even out side of law enforcement if that is what us taxpayers wanted. Education, health care, ad infinitum.

Is there not a more appropriate way to channel this money through law enforcement; perhaps fighting real crime? The vast majority of marijuana related crimes are victimless crimes in which no one is hurt or suffers any damages. Those crimes that do involve violence or theft may largely be due to prohibition itself. If marijuana were regulated prices would fall far below street value and likely eliminate the violence associated with the criminal marketplace.

This money, our money, should be funneled into more important law enforcement initiatives. Those of which actually protect us from something. For example this money could go towards resources to better protect ourselves from violent criminals, theft, and other criminal acts where innocent people are victimized.

Police officers often times masquerade as civilians or “dope heads” in order to arrest marijuana users. Rather than going under cover to bust College students, which in some cases costs the student financial aid and student loans; or the elderly person down the street who uses it to relieve her arthritis pain; or the worker who uses it to unwind after a long day of physically demanding or mentally tedious labor in the same way millions of people use alcohol; or perhaps the cancer patient who finds the side effects of prescribed medication too harsh…

…why not have the officer dress in an expensive suit and ‘weed out’ would-be bribe takers and other white-collar crime and corruption in big business and politicians. Those crimes which are really screwing us.

Next time a medical marijuana, decriminalization, or legalization bill is proposed in your state, get active! Contact your representatives and tell them how you feel. They will listen – especially if you are not the only one voicing your concern. So share this with your friends and family. Remember marijuana law reform is not just going to benefit those people who use it, it will benefit everyone! We are all paying for this nonsense, let us say NO to marijuana prohibition.

Author Bio: Fore more cannabis info see: cannabutter, cooking with cannabis, and marijuana tincture.

Category: Politics
Keywords: taxes, corruption, business, cannabis, marijuana, prohibition, government, United States