It’s amazing how people have been saying “Legalize Marijuana” for the past 20 odd years but only when a financial crisis comes about does government start to listen.  Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) has proposed a measure that would legalize and regulate marijuana sales in California. In light of the state’s economic woes, the proposal is attracting considerable interest — particularly in the wake of a report released Wednesday that indicates a marijuana tax could increase state revenue by as much as $1.4 billion. “There’s no doubt that the ground is shifting on marijuana,” says Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, which promotes alternatives to the war on drugs. “The discussion about regulating and taxing marijuana now has an air of legitimacy to it that it didn’t quite have before. And the economy has given the issue a real turbo-charge.”

ANNUAL AMERICAN DEATHS CAUSED BY DRUGS

TOBACCO …………………… 400,000
ALCOHOL …………………… 170,000
ALL LEGAL DRUGS ………….29,000
ALL ILLEGAL DRUGS ……….25,000
CAFFEINE …………………….2,500
ASPIRIN ………………………5,000
MARIJUANA …………………. 0
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Source: United States government…
National Institute on Drug Abuse,
Bureau of Mortality Statistics

Like any substance, marijuana can be abused. The most common problem attributed to marijuana is frequent overuse, which can induce lethargic behaviour, but does not cause serious health problems. Marijuana can cause short-term memory loss, but only while under the influence. Marijuana does not impair long-term memory. Marijuana does not lead to harder drugs.
Legalization would allow greater regulation. Cigarettes come with warnings. Alcoholic beverages are clearly marked with the amount of alcohol. Currently legal drugs contain a listing of all active and inactive ingredients. Illegal drugs could be sold legally with ingredients lists, warnings and purity levels clearly marked.

Drug czar Gil Kerlikowske told reporters that “marijuana is dangerous and has no medical benefit,” he also repeated a line he’s been using since taking the job as director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy: “Legalization is not in the president’s vocabulary, and it’s not in mine.” We at millionairedreamzz would like to show our support of the legalization of marijuana or at least the decriminalization of it. Like President Obama said “it’s time for change.” Although people may think that the Drug War targets drug smugglers and ‘King Pins,’ in 2007, 47.4 percent of the 1,841,182 total arrests for drug abuse violations were for marijuana — a total of 872,720. Of those, 775,137 people were arrested for marijuana possession alone. By contrast in 2000 a total of 734,497 Americans were arrested for marijuana offenses, of which 646,042 were for possession alone.