cannabisnews.com: America's $42 Billion Annual Boondoggle










  America's $42 Billion Annual Boondoggle

Posted by CN Staff on October 09, 2007 at 05:51:05 PT
By Rob Kampia, AlterNet 
Source: AlterNet 

USA -- What would you buy if you had an extra $42 billion to spend every year? What might our government buy if it suddenly had that much money dropped onto its lap every year?For one thing, it might pay for the entire $7 billion annual increase in the State Children's Health Insurance Program that President Bush is threatening to veto because of its cost -- and there'd still be $35 billion left over.
Or perhaps you'd hire 880,000 schoolteachers at the average U.S. teacher salary of $47,602 per year.Or give every one of our current teachers a 30 percent raise (at a cost of $15 billion, according to the American Federation of Teachers) and use what's left to take a $27 billion whack out of the federal deficit.Or use all $42 billion for a massive tax cut that would put an extra $140 in the pockets of every person in the country -- $560 for a family of four.The mind reels at the ways such a massive sum of money could be put to use.Why $42 billion? Because that's what our current marijuana laws cost American taxpayers each year, according to a new study by researcher Jon Gettman, Ph.D. -- $10.7 billion in direct law enforcement costs, and $31.1 billion in lost tax revenues. And that may be an underestimate, at least on the law enforcement side, since Gettman made his calculations before the FBI released its latest arrest statistics in late September. The new FBI stats show an all-time record 829,627 marijuana arrests in 2006, 43,000 more than in 2005.That's like arresting every man, woman and child in the state of North Dakota plus every man, woman, and child in Des Moines, Iowa on marijuana charges ... every year. Arrests for marijuana possession -- not sales or trafficking, just possession -- totaled 738,916. By comparison, there were 611,523 arrests last year for all violent crimes combined.Basing his calculations mainly on U.S. government statistics, Gettman concludes that marijuana in the U.S. is a $113 billion dollar business. That's a huge chunk of economic activity that is unregulated and untaxed because it's almost entirely off the books.Of course, the cost of our marijuana laws goes far beyond lost tax revenues and money spent on law enforcement. By consigning a very popular product -- one that's been used by about 100 million Americans, according to government surveys -- to the criminal underground, we've effectively cut legitimate businesspeople out of the market and handed a monopoly to criminals and gangs.Strangely, government officials love to warn us that some unsavory characters profit off of marijuana sales, while ignoring the obvious: Our prohibitionist laws handed them the marijuana business in the first place, effectively giving marijuana dealers a $113 billion free ride.All this might make some sense if marijuana were so terribly dangerous that it needed to be banned at all costs, but science long ago came to precisely the opposite conclusion. Compared to alcohol, for example, marijuana is astonishingly safe. For one thing, marijuana is much less addictive than alcohol, with just nine percent of users becoming dependent, as opposed to 15 percent for booze. And marijuana is much less toxic. Heavy drinking is well-documented to damage the brain and liver, and to increase the risk of many types of cancer. Marijuana, on the other hand, has never caused a medically documented overdose death, and scientists are still debating whether even heavy marijuana use causes any permanent harm at all. And then there's violence. Again, the scientific findings are overwhelming: Booze incites violence and aggression; marijuana doesn't.Despite all that, we now arrest one American every 38 seconds on marijuana charges. And we do so at a staggering cost in law enforcement expenses, lost tax revenues, and staggering profits for criminal gangs.The alternative is clear: Regulate marijuana just as we do beer, wine, and liquor. The only thing lacking is the political will.Note: What else could we spend $42 billion each year on? Health insurance for kids? Better paid teachers? It's our choice. Rob Kampia is executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, DC.Source: AlterNet (US)Author: Rob Kampia, AlterNetPublished: October 9, 2007Copyright: 2007 Independent Media InstituteContact: letters alternet.org Website: http://www.alternet.org/DL: http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/64465/Related Articles & Web Site:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/10 Million Americans Busted for Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23372.shtml Marijuana's $42 Billion Questionhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23371.shtml

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Comment #37 posted by FoM on October 14, 2007 at 12:00:41 PT
Hope
One more thing about Rust. Is don't put too much importance on objects since they will rust away. Make what is important count.
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Comment #36 posted by FoM on October 14, 2007 at 11:30:44 PT
Hope
I can listening to The Way about 3 times a day until I get concerned and stop because of FAP. I save them for right before I am ready to call it a day. It puts me where I want to be.I know that Rust means many things with Neil. Rust Never Sleeps was a concert and one that is up in the top concerts ever judged by Rolling Stone. I don't know what it means to others but it means that everything new and shiny will fade away so live now, not tomorrow, but right now.
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Comment #35 posted by Hope on October 14, 2007 at 11:21:51 PT
The words and tone, of course,
impart a certain hopefulness. But I think there is something about the soft, lilting pendulum effect of the rhythm that is good for the mind and spirit. It's hypnotic like effect pulls one into a more peaceful state of mind.Ta da ta da. Ta da ta da. Almost, if not, Mozartish in it's effect on the spirit and body.Mozartish isn't a word, I realize, but those of you who know the feeling some of the works of Mozart can impart understand what I mean, I'm sure. It's an amazing, mysterious phenomenon of how sound can effect a person. It's good. It's helpful and healthy to the being, somehow.
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Comment #34 posted by Hope on October 14, 2007 at 11:14:06 PT
They Way
I've listened to it loud and soft. It's beautiful played softly, too. His voice reaches out in it's peculiar way, especially, it seems, when it's played softly. It seems nice, and somehow, right, played softly.Good both ways though.It's peculiarly strengthening, somehow.
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Comment #33 posted by Hope on October 14, 2007 at 11:06:03 PT
FoM
He's an amazing guy, no doubt about that and a blessing to everyone...whether they know it or not.Is there any explanation or reason for Neil's fascination with rust?
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Comment #32 posted by FoM on October 14, 2007 at 10:12:35 PT

Hope
I think that Neil is who he is to me because of comments like this. He really can relate to children so very well.Neil said... "Ben is a great little guy, a wonderful little
human being. He's got a really beautiful little face,
and he's got a great heart, and he's a lot of fun to
play with. We've got a train set that we play with,
that he controls with buttons and stuff. He's
learning how to communicate and play games and solve
problems using a computer. And he is handicapped in
as much as he has severe cerebral palsy, and he is a
quadriplegic, and he's a non-oral child. So he has a
lot of handicaps. Cerebral palsy is a condition of
life, not a disease. It's the way he is, the
condition he is in. He was brought into this world in
this form, and this is the way he is. A lot of things
that we take for granted, that we can do, he can't do.
But his soul is there, and I'm sure he has an outlook
on the world that we don't have because of the
disabilities." 1988http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/rust/message/191462

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Comment #31 posted by FoM on October 14, 2007 at 10:05:04 PT

Hope
It sounds like that to me too. I just love it for it's simplicity and truth. It's beautiful.
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Comment #30 posted by Hope on October 14, 2007 at 10:03:32 PT

FoM
The Way. Just played it. It's sweet, beautiful, and encouraging. It seems to me to be a hymn. A simple, sweet, yet powerful, hymn that children need to be taught to help them carry it in their hearts forever and to remember when they feel courage and hope waning.
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Comment #29 posted by FoM on October 12, 2007 at 19:40:56 PT

Hope
If you can get this song to load I would love for you to hear it. It's a waltz with a children's choir and Neil. This is one of the new songs that will be on Chrome Dreams II. It's called The Way. I am looking forward to getting his new CD this week. I will play this song over and over many times when I can and I will play it loud too!Neil Young: The Wayhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiEZU_UuTwo
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Comment #28 posted by Hope on October 12, 2007 at 19:17:23 PT

You, too, Whig!
I started reading this thread from the top down.The Fleetwood Mac I had then was on 8 track. Wore it out. Good thing, too. Not many 8 track players around anymore.
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Comment #27 posted by Hope on October 12, 2007 at 19:08:06 PT

Ah...Fleetwood Mac.
Love them, too. Fight4Freedom. U2 is a favorite, too. I've never seen Fleetwood Mac in person, but my son has. When he was in college, I think. He said they were great. He's always appreciated a lot of the music I liked when he was a kid. Good thing, too. We lived in the country and the stereo was on, and the volume was way up, most of the time.You have good taste, young man!:0)
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Comment #26 posted by fight_4_freedom on October 12, 2007 at 18:44:36 PT:

I absolutely love fleetwood mac
I've went to see them twice in concert and they are just great. They didn't have that kristine or kristy mcvay both times but they still did a fantastic job. I tried to get some friends to go but none of them even knew who they were lol. Most of my friends are satisfied listening to all their rap, while a lot of the music I listen to came out before I was even born hehe.U2 is an older band that I'm in love with. I can't wait to see one of their concerts one day. I'll be willing to pay the 70 bucks or whatever high price they charge. I think it'd be worth it.
Beautiful Day
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Comment #25 posted by whig on October 10, 2007 at 23:19:13 PT

Jimmy Carter speaks
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/10/carter.torture/
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Comment #24 posted by whig on October 10, 2007 at 23:06:08 PT

Oh well
Fleetwood Mac, the real good old stuff.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE4HGlmtOcg
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Comment #23 posted by whig on October 10, 2007 at 23:04:04 PT

Sometimes
It's good to know which way you want to turn, left or right. But sometimes you're just going for a walk around the neighborhood.
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Comment #22 posted by whig on October 10, 2007 at 23:02:45 PT

Toker00
I agree. I'm sick of binary choices.
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Comment #21 posted by FoM on October 10, 2007 at 21:24:20 PT

Toker00
Very good.
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Comment #20 posted by Toker00 on October 10, 2007 at 21:02:18 PT

What IS all that stuff?
If you're either right or wrong, what is all that stuff in between?If there's only a republican or democrat to vote for, what is all that stuff in between?If you are either with us or with the terrorists, what is all that stuff in between?If she either will or she won't, what is all that stuff in between? (Joke) : )If we are either live or dead, what is all that stuff in between?If there is only God or Satan, what is all that stuff in between?If Cannabis is either Legal or Prohibited, what is all that stuff in between?If there is only a Heaven or Hell, what is all that stuff in between?If there is only a left wing or a right wing, what is all that stuff in between?If there are only masculine or feminine, what is all that stuff in between?If there is only Peace or War, what is all that stuff in between?If you are either a Believer or an Athiest, what is all that stuff in between?Have you ever felt limited?Just asking...fffffssssssttttt.Toke.
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Comment #19 posted by whig on October 10, 2007 at 16:12:56 PT

Money can't buy love
That's all there is to say, for me. :)
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Comment #18 posted by FoM on October 10, 2007 at 15:37:24 PT

Toker00 
Very nice. I am rich but by the standards of some I am not rich but who cares as long as I know it. You do have a good heart. I told ya so! 
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Comment #17 posted by Toker00 on October 10, 2007 at 15:30:35 PT

That Rich man sure is Poor.
You can be poor in more than one way. It isn't always lack of money that makes you poor. Lack of self esteem makes you poor. Lack of motivation makes you poor. Lack of drive makes you poor. I know many poor people who have lots more money than I do, but they are poor because they are hateful, somewhat ignorant and have never done anything for anyone else. I know people who have very little money, but are rich in Love and Kindness and Compassion and they want for nothing. They are the happiest people I know. Seriously.If you do not see the magnificence of Creation in the simplest of life forms, then you are poor.If you do not see the magnificence of Creation in the greatest depths of the Universe, then you are poor.If you do not see the magnificence of Creation in the mirror each day you rise and breath, then you are poor.If you do not see the magnificence of Creation in the bright smile your child gives you as they poop their diapers when you hold them for the first time and you don't laugh your arse off, then you are poor.And, if you don't see the relief and comfort Cannabis gives to the sick and well alike, then you are very, very poor, indeed.Toke. 
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Comment #16 posted by FoM on October 10, 2007 at 11:03:04 PT

whig
I agree.
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on October 10, 2007 at 11:02:30 PT

Hope
If only they would understand that people aren't throw aways. There always will be those who were born with a silver spoon in their mouth and there will always be those who are born into extreme poverty and don't barely stand a chance. We need to fix our bridges and highways. We don't need anymore collapsing. We have buildings that are aging in the big cities that need attention or are we just going to let them fall apart? When the Interstate highways were new they were wonderful and well maintained. Now they look old and even the mowing in the summer isn't kept up like it was back in the 70s. Towns need a good industry or two with benefits to keep them alive or do we let them disappear into ghost towns? We aren't what we were anymore. I haven't given up hope but it is very disappointing to see how things have become. 
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Comment #14 posted by Hope on October 10, 2007 at 10:11:18 PT

Poor people.
Remember the words of Jesus when the expensive perfume was used to anoint him? He said, in part, "The poor you will have with you always." We will always have poor blacks, whites, browns, reds, and yellows and every other shade that a human comes in. Sadly, I figure he means forever...not just in that era. I have friends from the Netherlands that have told me that although they have social programs that will provide shelter and food and clothing for everyone...absolutely everyone, that they still have people who choose to sleep on the street. I don't understand why, exactly, but people can have starkly differing ideas about how they want to live. I believe that we should help the poor, individually and together. We can provide opportunity for everyone and anyone to build a better life for themselves and their families out of multibillions of dollars a year. Trade schools. Financing for small businesses. Bakeries. Mechanics. My word...honest mechanic shops every block or two. How wonderful would that be. Financing small farms and dairies in the country. Yes...I know that would be against the prevalent ideas of mega big businesses...but that's what we need. Many, many independent small business entreupeneurs. Child care and education. My goodness... quality childcare and education. Quality healthcare. Investment in all sorts of science without corruption and graft. Real people, and real leaders could do amazing wonderful things for society and this country and the world with the multi billion dollars that are wasted on the war on cannabis and drugs and incarceration and the the boondoggle of countless lev els of the red tape bureaucracies we are all burdened with now.Their aren't enough carpenters and builders and plumbers and construction people. Schools need training and education for blue collar jobs as well as the ephemeral white collar jobs that not everyone wants anyway. Why can't we get real about the way we spend our collective money and actually try to make society better...instead of more incarcerated and burdenedand complicated?It can be done. I know it can. We have the money. We just don't seem to have wise leaders to emplement the actions. Greedy people have destroyed this country. They send the work and production of nearly everything overseas. They seemingly don't want a middle class. We need a huge middle class. We need jobs for everyone that pay well. It can be done.
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Comment #13 posted by whig on October 09, 2007 at 21:49:17 PT

FoM
I don't think Ohio's vote was counted fairly in 2004.
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on October 09, 2007 at 20:29:46 PT

D.A. Recommendation: Ban Medical Marijuana
October 9, 2007 Video: http://www.eyeoutforyou.com/news/local/10402842.htmlProponents of medical marijuana were dealt a major blow Tuesday when District Attorney Ed Jagels recommended banning it across the county.State law says it's okay to smoke marijuana if your doctor recommends it. But federal law says it's illegal no matter what.It's that conflict that prompted the County Board of Supervisors to ask Jagels to look into the issue. His report came as a disappointment to the hundreds, if not thousands, of medical marijuana users in Kern County.Jagels recommended repealing the ordinance that gives the sheriff's department authority to issue licenses to sell medical marijuana.He also recommended enacting and ordinance that would prohibit any actions that are illegal under federal law, which would include smoking marijuana, even for medical reasons."The storefront marijuana dispensary that half the state seems to think is legal in the state is, in fact, illegal," said Jagels.If passed, Jagels' recommendation would make it impossible for patients to legally obtain marijuana."I'd be reduced to the streets," said Chris Helton, who started using marijuana 4 years ago to relieve severe headaches caused by a head injury he suffered working on and oil rig. "I could try to grow my own, but I haven't been successful. I've been ripped off."Copyright: 2007
Westwind Communications, L.L.C.
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on October 09, 2007 at 17:29:03 PT

Hope
I understand what you are saying but I think the poor mostly black person will be the ones who lose again. I've been in New York City and Chicago and I can't imagine how they will survive. When I mean lose I mean they won't have any money or a prospect of a job. I'm not justifying people selling drugs but I am trying to look at this logically. 
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Comment #10 posted by Hope on October 09, 2007 at 17:20:17 PT

Your vote.
Sadly, it's not possible to trust their answers anymore. I don't think they would tell the truth if they didn't count it. And...if they can see that it counted...do they see who you voted for? I thought that was private. Paper Ballots. Big Clear Paper Ballots. That's probably the only way to half way know if a vote is counted and actually "took".The economy without a drug war. We need police for real crime. Forget the drugs. They can give the attention that murder and theft cases need. A huge percentage of them go unsolved....forever. People get away with murder A LOT! They certainly get away with theft often. There's not a spell checker on this computer and I don't have time to do a good job of proofing this...but I hope you can get the gist of what I'm hurriedly commenting about. It will be better. Less fear. Less danger. Less ignorance. Less hatred. Less corruption. Less lying.Less rip-offs. Less dangerous people in fear of losing their freedom. Lot less bad stuff...and lots more better stuff.More police to do real crime detecting and solving.When I had a store and was alone in it, on an interstate highway...a strange car pulled up in front...and acted strange...no one got out...they sat in it ... and I became worried. I called the police and asked them to come check it out. I waited and waited...They never came. That happens. Another time, though, as a compliment to police, Highway Patrol in particular...their was a hit and run accident in front of my house. One car purposely crashed into another car and the people ran, terrified, from the car to my house. I called the highway patrol and described the car that hit the people, and they caught them within three minutes. That was wonderful and commendable. We need police. We just don't need police arresting people for what they choose to injest.They could be doing real police work about real crimes and be prepared and available to do so when things were quiet.When cannabis is legalized...their should be more jobs... legal jobs. The profit for the individual businesses won't be as high as the street dealer's profits might be, but they will be less violent and subject to taxes and legal operations. Their might be less bling, and less porsches...but it will be better and spread around more rationally and reasonably. The people that use the product won't spend as much...and the people that sell it won't make as much as the illegal sales might...but it will be a lot better. The growers will get a fairer share, as the proprieters and sales people and packaging and processing people will.The funeral homes will have a bit less business. The drug testing business won't close down...but they won't be like they are now...and there will be less corruption in drug testing, policing, and everything. There will be no snitches...only real witnesses to real crimes. It will be better for everyone. In Texas we don't have enough prison guards to safely guard the prisoners we have. The prison industry could do a better job and safer job than it does now, without having to be spread so thinly and dangerously. Less people in prison per guard is a very good idea.
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on October 09, 2007 at 15:06:25 PT

Just a Comment
Today I called to make sure that I was registered to vote. She said yes I was registered. Then I said but I got a letter after I voted from Blackwell that I needed to sign my registration. She said yes your signature wasn't clear enough so you will have to request to sign it when I go to vote in our Primary. I said then didn't my vote count and she said it counted but I don't think it did. 
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on October 09, 2007 at 14:39:03 PT

Hope
Could our economy survive anymore without the drug war? I don't think it could. How many police wouldn't be needed. How would poor inner city people survive if they didn't have drugs to sell? Where are the jobs? Where would the replacement jobs come. I am asking this because of economics not my conscience.
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Comment #7 posted by Hope on October 09, 2007 at 14:32:40 PT

Our leadership, officials, and government
in general are hateful, ignorant, arrogant, foolish, spiteful, elitest, war loving wastrels.How does that happen? Why do types like that get elected so often? I guess it's because they are supported by the industries that benefit from their arrogant, hateful, foolish in general, (not to the forces that support them, of course), wasteful ways. Poorer people, and the average people can't afford to buy and pay for politicians like the industries and entities that can and do, and then of course, they turn around and literally rob the average taxpayer to support the government controlled by the ones who bought the politicians.The war on drugs is disater of historical proportions. Everyone knows that....not everyone is ready to let go the drug war teat that feeds them.A lot of weaning needs to be done. Sometimes weaning can be fairly easy. Sometimes it can be awful. This weaning law enforcement, the prison industry, prohibitionists, and the testing industry off the War on Drugs is likely one of the most awful weaning episodes ever in the history of mankind.
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on October 09, 2007 at 13:58:59 PT

Republican Debate on CNBC
I keep wanting to turn the channel but I thought I should try to watch and listen. The only one that makes a little sense to me is Ron Paul. 
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on October 09, 2007 at 13:53:49 PT

aolbites 
That is an amazing amount of money. 
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Comment #4 posted by aolbites on October 09, 2007 at 13:50:36 PT

enough to fix Social Security for 75 years -twice 
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0117-20.htm-=snip=-Even more fundamentally, there is the question of whether we needed to spend the money at all. Thinking back to the months before the war, there were few reasons to invade quickly, and many to go slow. The Bush policy of threatened force had pressured Iraq into allowing the U.N. inspectors back into the country. The inspectors said they required a few months to complete their work. Several of our closest allies, including France and Germany, were urging the U.S. to await the outcome of the inspections. There were, as we now know, conflicting intelligence reports.Had we waited, the value of the information we would have learned from the inspectors would arguably have saved the nation at least $1 trillion — enough money to fix Social Security for the next 75 years twice over. 
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Comment #3 posted by aolbites on October 09, 2007 at 13:33:57 PT

$$$
each and every American owes $2656.57 for the 800bilion that will be spent on the war so far thru this years requests.. if the pentagon says we spend 8.4 Billion a month, thats ~$28 per month from every man woman and child in this country [us population-301,139,947]if this war ends up costing 2 trillion [in the Loooong run it will -at least-] every man woman and child in this country will owe $6650 to the war profiteers
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on October 09, 2007 at 10:55:33 PT

MikeEEEEE 
If we hadn't invaded Iraq we would be able to do all of the things mentioned in this article. War makes money for some but it takes money away from good social programs which we so desperately need if we want to save our people since people are what makes us a country.
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Comment #1 posted by MikeEEEEE on October 09, 2007 at 10:49:25 PT

Money Pit
I wonder if the author mentioned $170 million a day in Iraq.Whether the drug war or Iraq, the noise you hear is money being flushed down the toilet.
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