[420 Girl]

Freedom is the answer to the economic misery facing Greece, and the freedom to choose if to use drugs or not is a very important civil liberty. Legislation that would legalize pot and allow Greece to tax its sale will mean billions of dollars for the cash-strapped country.

Greece is in a very, very precipitous economic plight. It's in the toilet. And the future looks very, very bleak, with layoffs and foreclosures, and schools closing or trying to operate four days a week. They have one of the highest rates of unemployment in Europe. With any revenue ideas, people say you have to think outside the box, you have to be creative, and the issue of the decriminalization of marijuana fits perfectly.

Beneath the furious roil of the economic crisis, a conversation needs to begin about the irrationality of drug laws. In, the U.S, it is going on in state legislatures, like New York's, where the draconian Rockefeller drug laws are up for review; in other states, from California to Massachusetts, various forms of marijuana decriminalization are being enacted. And it has reached the floor of Congress, where Senators Jim Webb and Arlen Specter have proposed a major prison-reform package, which would directly address drug-sentencing policy.

There are also more puckish signs of a zeitgeist shift. A months weeks ago, the White House decided to stage a forum in which the President would answer questions submitted by the public; 92,000 people responded — and most of them seemed obsessed with the legalization of marijuana. The two most popular questions about "green jobs and energy," for example, were about pot. The President dismissed the outpouring — appropriately, I guess — as online ballot-stuffing and dismissed the legalization question with a simple: "No."

This was another instance where Barack Obama reacted reflexively, without attempting to think creatively, about a serious policy question. He was, in fact, taking the traditional path of least resistance: an unexpected answer on marijuana would have launched a tabloid firestorm, diverting attention from the budget fight and all those bailouts. In fact, the default fate of any politician who publicly considers the legalization of marijuana is to be cast into the outer darkness. Such a person is assumed to be stoned all the time, unworthy of being taken seriously.

But there are big issues here, issues of economy and simple justice, especially on the sentencing side. As Webb pointed out in a cover story in Parade magazine, the U.S. is, by far, the most "criminal" country in the world, with 5% of the world's population and 25% of its prisoners. They spend $68 billion per year on corrections, and one-third of those being corrected are serving time for nonviolent drug crimes. They spend about $150 billion on policing and courts, and 47.5% of all drug arrests are marijuana-related. That is an awful lot of money, most of it nonfederal, that could be simply returned to the public.

The economic impact, with thousands of new jobs in agriculture, packaging, marketing, advertising, and especially tourism will be staggering. A true marijuana economic-stimulus package!

From an economic standpoint, there would be numerous benefits to legalizing marijuana. A new industry could emerge that would allow people to buy and sell marijuana without being incarcerated. The illegal pot dealer that is currently making their “dirty money” under the table, and possibly living on welfare or other government aid, could possibly start a profitable business. They would already have a client base, which is a key component in a sales environment. A marijuana distributing business could be created with a small amount of capital thanks to the Internet. Marijuana could be shipped out to customers, since drug trafficking would no longer be illegal. This would create desperately needed jobs across the country. It would also help increase our Gross Domestic Product (GDP), since more goods would be created/ grown and sold. Current drug sales make a noticeable difference in world unofficial GDP, even though they are not part of official GDP. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in 2003, illicit drugs accounted for 1% of the world’s GDP. A mere percent sounds minute, but this “small” amount is higher than 88% of all countries’ GDPs in the world. Individuals participating in the legal marijuana industry would finally have a steady and more importantly, legal stream of income that would be taxed and go towards the ungodly budget deficit that has accumulated.

There would be numerous venues for purchasing legal marijuana, which means stronger competition, thus creating lower prices for the consumer. Since the current consumer is purchasing marijuana illegally, a higher price is charged for the risk and also for the low amount available. Remember, lower supply available results in higher prices. These consumers that are currently spending top Euros would have more disposable income to save, invest, or spend directly into the economy. Since the consumer is buying goods legally, there is no doubt a sales tax would be involved, once again leading to more money for the government. Overall, more people would be paying in to the system, rather than being supported by it.

A large part of drug peddlers are part of the lower socioeconomic spectrum. There simply aren’t many doctors or lawyers selling weed on the street corner. Most of these people are just trying to make ends meet while struggling with poverty. Having the opportunity to run or to be a part of a legitimate business is part of the entrepreneurial spirit that drives the economic progress. People who are selling marijuana illegally now could become respectable and accepted individuals in society. If they pursued their business venture with enough effort and motivation they could raise their position in society and create a better, more positive future for their children.

The cost of marijuana enforcement is very high. This means if marijuana was legal, prisons would save money and the taxpayer would be spared for a change. It would also help, but likely not solve overcrowding problems in prisons

If a marijuana distribution firm grew large enough, it could be registered and traded on an exchange. Typically, when the market is in a recessionary period, alcohol and tobacco brands sometimes perform better than other companies. Marijuana companies may be classified in a similar category and would provide a safe house for investors. Since marijuana is a type of commodity, it would likely be traded in the futures markets as well. Since it is illegal to trade marijuana in any other place in world, Greece could become a world trade center of marijuana, like the Comex is for oil.

What would happen if marijuana was legalized? Would everybody become a pot head, drug dealer, or a drug lord? This legalization would inevitably add a new and powerful industry to the Greek draining economy. Drugs are already a legalized and powerful industry, well, the pharmaceutical industry. You have a headache? Go buy some Tylenol and take a couple of doses here and there and your headache will go away.

Sounds effective right? How about this: had a long day at work? Go buy some Marijuana from your local store and your stress will go away .What would this create? It would create many solutions.

It would create a powerful industry. The Marijuana Industry as opposed to the Tobacco Industry. Marijuana companies would be popping up like weeds! Along with creating an industry would be creating a workforce. Farm lands would be needed as well as the laborers needed to help grow and distribute the plant. Pharmaceutical companies would then distribute the plant to pharmacies and these places are going to need an extra helping hand too. The needed expertise of Marijuana would then have its effects on Universities, Community Colleges, and Certificate Programs. They are going to call on the experts to help teach classes for future pharmacists of tomorrow. This will increase enrollment which helps the local economy as well.

Socially this can create a good vibe. Smokers would be largely at peace and depart from conflict with other members of society due to its relaxing effects

Cannabis, commonly known as marihuana, is an important factor that can change entirely a countries economy. Taking into consideration the effects of marihuana, its cost and its easy marketing, marihuana is a good economy raiser.

Marihuana is a drug that has many effects on people both psychological and physiological. Some of these effects include altered sate of conscience, euphoria, relaxation or stress reduction paranoia and anxiety. However, even with this negative effects, some countries have legalized the consumption of marihuana or cannabis. There are five European countries and thirteen U.S. states that have legalized the use of marihuana only for medical consumption since it reduces the pain in some cases. Some other countries have legalized the regular consumption of marihuana depending on the amount that is owned. This has many types of effects in different countries depending on the way they use it.

When people think of marihuana they automatically think of Holland. The actual reality is that the use of marihuana in Holland is prohibited however, the government does not reinforce this law and does not convict people (over the age of 18) in possession or sale of this drug and this is the reason why there is so many marihuana consumption in this country. Even though the negative effects of cannabis is present in the daily life of the Netherlands, its economy is really big and is ranked in the top 15 in the world. This is due to the fact that tourism plays an important role in this countries economy, people are attracted to the fact that they can consume marihuana freely and easily without any type of difficulties. Greece could enjoy a giant rise in tourism.


NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Before It's News
Contact: Before It's News
Copyright: 2010 Little Blue Marble
Website: The Answer for The Problems of Greece and The World Economy is Freedom- How The Legalization of Marijuana Could Save The Greek Economy


http://www.420magazine.com/forums/in...y-freedom.html