[burkhartdesu]

10 reasons prohibition is bad:


1. Prohibition encourages people to see the law as unrealistic and whimsical, instead of with the respect and obedience a real law deserves.


2. Prohibition creates organized crime.


3. Prohibition permanently corrupts law enforcement, the court system, elections, and politics in general.


4. Prohibition overburdens police, courts, and the penal system.


5. Prohibition causes physical harm.
Because alcohol was illegal, its purity was not regulated. While fruit, vegetable, and grain alcohol is usually safe, alcohol made from wood is not — but it is difficult to tell the difference until too late. The same happens today with illegal drugs — most overdoses are accidental, a result from not knowing the purity or strength of the drug. All of this a result of prohibition!


6. Prohibition prevents the treatment of addiction
It’s a lot harder to say you have a problem when it could land you in jail.


7. Prohibition is ridiculously expensive.
Experts estimate that legalizing marijuana would save $7.7 billion per year in government expenditure on enforcement of prohibition. $5.3 billion of this savings would accrue to state and local governments, while $2.4 billion would accrue to the federal government. The report also estimates that marijuana legalization would yield tax revenue of $2.4 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like all other goods and $6.2 billion annually if marijuana were taxed at rates comparable to those on alcohol and tobacco.


8. Prohibition (a.k.a. 'The War on Drugs') is a complete failure, and is essentially impossible to win


9. A regulated, legal market in marijuana would reduce marijuana sales and use among teenagers, as well as reduce their exposure to other more dangerous drugs in the illegal market.


10. Marijuana's legalization would simplify the development of hemp as a valuable and diverse agricultural crop in the United States, including its development as a new bio-fuel to reduce carbon emissions.