[Vision2020] The Doobie Brothers? (was Call to Action)

[Dan Carscallen]

Maybe it's the libertarian in me, but even though I am not personally
"down" with the ganja, and I may not necessarily approve of people's
recreational use of it, I figure I really don't have  too much of a
bitch about people's "tonic of choice", since I do like my beer and an
occasional cocktail.  I also see no problem with allowing it for medical
use -- as Wayne said, Novacaine or Morphine, anyone? -- but this country
has a long institutional memory (we've all seen the cult classic Reefer
Madness).

One would think this same institutional memory would recall the
effectiveness of prohibition as well.  While the libertarian voice in me
is screaming "no, No, NO!!"  I would think it would behoove us to allow
medical use of cannabis and (*gulp*) tax it like we do the liquor.
Trouble is, just like any other item on the agenda, one can find almost
as many studies showing the ineffectiveness as you can the
effectiveness.  Anecdotal information from users does weigh heavy in
favor, though.  Besides, the feds spend a helluva lot of money fighting
a "war" on it, and that may be able to be put to better use.  Why spend
the money fighting it when you can regulate and tax it?  Seems that
might at least cost less . . .

As a friend of mine said "why not just legalize it totally and tax the
bejeebers out of it and let the stoners sit around baked all the time.
I don't hear stories about them beating their wives or killing people
from behind the wheel of a car."

Food for thought

DC