The claim that legalization provides an opportunity to tax new products and thus increase overall revenue is misleading. For example, total tax revenue from the sale of alcohol is $13.1 billion a year, but alcohol extracts over $100 billion a year in social costs such as health care and lost productivity (http:// www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov). There is no evidence to demonstrate neither that taxing marijuana would bolster revenues any more than do alcohol and tobacco, nor would the revenue from such taxation offset the social and medical costs these illicit drugs would impose (http:// www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov). The pro-drug lobby argues that legalization will save on enforcement costs. However, the elimination of drug enforcement would provide little funding for other uses because the actual amount of money allocated to drug enforcement agencies is insignificant compared to other government expenditures (The US government actually spends less the 0.2% of its budget on drug enforcement agencies) (http:// www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov).
Without question, drug abuse in our society has been a major cause of crime and social disruption. The drug problem has been so enormous that many in America, misguided by frustration, are listening to the beguiling arguments to legalize or decriminalize drugs.
The solution to the drug problem is not to repeal drug laws. The solution requires commitment to a balanced strategy of drug education, prevention, treatment and law enforcement. Research information and data clearly show the problem is not marijuana prohibition, but marijuana use. When cannabis is cheap, plentiful and legal, more people will use it. It is a frightening scenario that envisions more of our citizens, juveniles and adults, using this mind-altering substance that not only adversely affects their own behavior and health, but also endangers innocent people.
Do we really want to make it more difficult then it already is to attain a proper education? Would we truly want to live in a society that is deprived of ambition and motivation a country full of “stoners”? Is it more beneficial to legalize marijuana, and then deal with all the crime, all the weed-related accidents, all the broken dreams from a motivation-less society or would it be better to simply maintain prohibition? The choice seems rather simple. With all the statistics and examples against legalization, it is clear that prohibition of marijuana should be permanently sustained.