[420 Girl]

California's Legislative Analyst's Office on Wednesday issued a report concluding that legalizing marijuana in the state "could result in additional revenue for local governments and free up law enforcement to prosecute other crimes."

In other news, meteorologists report that rain comes from clouds in the sky.

Seriously, though. The nonpartisan body's report was hailed by the Drug Policy Alliance and other proponents of Proposition 19—this fall's voter initiative on legalizing recreational pot—as confirming many of their arguments in favor of the measure.

But it also includes caveats, some of which make sense and some of which don't. State and local governments might potentially reap hundreds of millions of dollars from pot in the form of taxes and license fees, but the actual amounts "are subject to significant uncertainty," according to the report. It largely depends on how many local governments license growers, and what kinds of taxes and fees they impose.

There's also the problem of the feds. Pot is still against federal law, and will remain so even if Prop 19 passes. "It is not known to what extent the federal government would continue to enforce" those laws, the report warns. The Obama administration has vowed to make marijuana a low enforcement priority, particularly when it comes to now-legal medical pot (though the DEA is still conducting raids). But what happens if we have a President Palin?

The report also states that legalization "could result in savings to the state and local governments by reducing the number of marijuana offenders incarcerated in state prisons and county jails, as well as the number placed under county probation or state parole supervision. These savings could reach several tens of millions of dollars annually."

The report's assertion that legalization "could lead to an increase in consumption of marijuana" is true enough. But it goes on to conclude that this could "potentially" result in "an unknown increase in the number of individuals seeking publicly funded substance abuse and other medical services."

"Potentially." "Unknown." These weasel words are included because we're talking about pot here. There might be some increase in costs for these services, but it likely won't be much, because if you're smoking too much pot, or want to stop entirely, the easiest, cheapest, and most effective method is to just stop smoking pot. I think it's safe to assume that most pot smokers know this, and prefer this method to rehab, even if the state is paying for it.

The report also shoots down a myth about Prop 19 that some opponents have been spreading. If passed, the law will not force employers to hire or retain potheads. Employers are barred from discriminating against workers for "engaging in conduct permitted by the measure," the report notes. "However, it does specify that employers would retain existing rights to address consumption of marijuana that impairs en employee's job performance."

So, you can't fire people for smoking pot, but you can fire them for being stoned.


NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: The Big Money
Author: Dan Mitchell
Contact: The Big Money
Copyright: 2010 WashingtonPost.Newsweek Interactive Co. LLC
Website: Report: Legalized Marijuana Could Make California a Richer, Safer Place

* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article


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