What if there was a way to help end the war on drugs... And help clear the states budget deficit at the same time? Some say the solution is right under our nose. The Problem is that solution, marijuana, is just as controversial and complicated as the problems themselves..
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According to the national institute of health -- marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States. So would it be safer and more beneficial for society if we started regulating it and taxing it? 9 on your side's Carley Wegner tries to smoke out the truth behind legalizing marijuana.
On April 20th the organization Norml launched a new t-v ad. It’s one of the first to outright support the legalization of marijuana. It claims “You can tax it, you can regulate it, apply age restrictions, you can create millions of new job, we can save our economy." Sounds appealing right? Well it's a lot more complicated than it sounds.
We sat and down and talked with Pitt County Sheriff Mac Manning. He says, “I just don't see where there's any argument that legalizes marijuana or any other illicit drug would have benefit to society as a whole." Manning *admits* many people are smoking marijuana - even potential deputies. "I’m a little taken back by the number of applicants we have now that who mark on their applications -- being truthful-- that they have experimented with marijuana." But he's adamant that’s not a case to legalize it. Others disagree. "The truth is there are number of reasons why marijuana prohibition has failed-- it simply doesn't work-- at this point we know it doesn't work."
David Ward is a criminal defense lawyer and doesn't see any reason why we shouldn't legalize marijuana. Ward say, "it's easier for a 12 year old to go out and buy a bag of marijuana than it is for them to go out and buy cigarettes or alcohol and that’s due largely to the fact that it's unregulated. We need to look at what we are spending to enforce laws and policies that aren't working and contrast that to the benefits of legalizing, regulating and taxing marijuana."
In 2005 a visiting Harvard University professor conducted the “The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition" report. It claims replacing prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation -- would produce tax revenues of at least $2 point 4 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like most consumer goods. It also says if marijuana were taxed like alcohol or tobacco, it might generate as much as 6 point 2 billion annually. Furth more, it says legalizing would save 7 point 7 billion dollars per year state and federal combined from not having to enforce prohibition. But Sherriff Manning says he’s not sure legalizing marijuana would lower the cost to law enforcement because even if you are allowed to smoke it-- there will still be court cases and arrests-- just like there is for alcohol. Manning says "look at all the case loads that is generated for dui laws-- where as your dealing with a substance like marijuana it's illegal across the board it's much easier to enforce to a certain degree if you find it than what are all the circumstances in having it." But Ward argues, “I would say to the sheriff-- it is there- people are using it! That particular suggestion is like taking an ostrich approach and burying your head in the sand and acting like it's not there." And that's one of ward's biggest arguments for legalizing marijuana-- people are using it and society would be better off if we could regulate it. Ward says, " it's present. So what are we going to do about it? Are we going to leave it unchecked or are we going to try and put some systems in place to protect our kids and to promote responsible use."
But would legalizing really protect our youth or create even more teen drug abuse? More on that tonight at 11.
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