Marijuana: 0

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

If it's restricted to within your own home, to people above or at the age of whatever the legal cigarette smoking age is, fine. Also taxed and regulated.

[El Diablo]

Legalise dope.

Tax it.

Put up the tax on chocolate, fast food and chocolate flavoured milk.

Government will be rolling in $$ and can take care of the rest of society...

[Fragony]

Would be taxing the legalised crime behind it, good luck explaining that.

[Lemur]

Fragony, could you unpack that idea? 'Cause I'm not quite understanding it as it's currently phrased. "Taxing the legalized crime"? Um, okay, if something's no longer illegal, and then you tax it, I guess you're taxing a legalized crime. Now that miscegenation laws have been struck down, do the fees paid for mixed-race marriage licenses count as "taxing a legalized crime"?

No, I'm probably completely misunderstanding your point. If you've got the time, please expand so that we can respond without making these flailing motions ...

[Fragony]

Fragony, could you unpack that idea? 'Cause I'm not quite understanding it as it's currently phrased. "Taxing the legalized crime"? Um, okay, if something's no longer illegal, and then you tax it, I guess you're taxing a legalized crime. Now that miscegenation laws have been struck down, do the fees paid for mixed-race marriage licenses count as "taxing a legalized crime"?

No, I'm probably completely misunderstanding your point. If you've got the time, please expand so that we can respond without making these flailing motions ...

Of course taxing it is legalising crime because you are taxing every aspect of it, the end-product isn't just something that just shows up. ' Taxing' it would be more like ' taking a cut'.

[Geoffrey S]

Of course taxing it is legalising crime because you are taxing every aspect of it, the end-product isn't just something that just shows up. ' Taxing' it would be more like ' taking a cut'.

Not now - but when legalized, I see no reason why the production of marijuana shouldn't be just as legal as the distribution.

[Xiahou]

Not now - but when legalized, I see no reason why the production of marijuana shouldn't be just as legal as the distribution.

If you mean "well regulated", then I'm in agreement.

[Fragony]

Not now - but when legalized, I see no reason why the production of marijuana shouldn't be just as legal as the distribution.

Hash would also be legal then it's in the same category, and all the smuggling and behind it, really legalising and taxing it is too tricky.

[Somebody Else]

I have to agree - legalize the stuff, but in a highly restricted manner (something our current government knows all about). Anyone producing the stuff outside the framework gets hammered, hard (Admittedly, this would be tricky to discover, I suspect - more expense). Meanwhile, the legal version gets taxed to the hilt. The people who smoke cigarettes are miles more intelligent, and they still pay through the nose, so this lot'll be easier to extort money from. Oh, and people have to sign something or other to say they are users - perfectly legally, but I'd still not employ them - I've seen just how feckless, useless and mind-numbingly tedious to be around.

The extra cost should be paid for by the taxation, and there should be some more extra (judging by the number of people who seem to use the stuff, despite protestations otherwise... the number of student would-be politicians I know...)

SE

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

I have to agree - legalize the stuff, but in a highly restricted manner (something our current government knows all about). Anyone producing the stuff outside the framework gets hammered, hard (Admittedly, this would be tricky to discover, I suspect - more expense). Meanwhile, the legal version gets taxed to the hilt. The people who smoke cigarettes are miles more intelligent, and they still pay through the nose, so this lot'll be easier to extort money from. Oh, and people have to sign something or other to say they are users - perfectly legally, but I'd still not employ them - I've seen just how feckless, useless and mind-numbingly tedious to be around.

The extra cost should be paid for by the taxation, and there should be some more extra (judging by the number of people who seem to use the stuff, despite protestations otherwise... the number of student would-be politicians I know...)

SE

Brilliant post.

[Tribesman]

Of course taxing it is legalising crime because you are taxing every aspect of it, the end-product isn't just something that just shows up. ' Taxing' it would be more like ' taking a cut'.

How so ?
If it is legal then it is legal . Growing it would be legislated , shipping it would be legislated , where does this taking a cut of illegal business come into it ?

[Ice]

The people who smoke cigarettes are miles more intelligent

That's a bit insulting. How do you come to this conclusion?

[Somebody Else]

That's a bit insulting. How do you come to this conclusion?

I lived in a flat with 3 of them for a year.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Coming home every day to a flat wreathed in that foul-smelling smoke by 3pm was one of the more unpleasant features, I won't mention their personal habits

An absolute bloody nightmare, them and their friends. Not met a single one, and I have met several, none of whom I would trust in a position of any responsibility.

SE

[Ice]

I lived in a flat with 3 of them for a year.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Coming home every day to a flat wreathed in that foul-smelling smoke by 3pm was one of the more unpleasant features, I won't mention their personal habits

An absolute bloody nightmare, them and their friends. Not met a single one, and I have met several, none of whom I would trust in a position of any responsibility.

SE

Looks like you are just living with a bunch of idiots. Like I've been saying for a while here, don't judge all weed smokers off a small sample of people.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Anyone producing the stuff outside the framework gets hammered, hard (Admittedly, this would be tricky to discover, I suspect - more expense).

Why shouldn't you be able to grow it if you want to?

Meanwhile, the legal version gets taxed to the hilt.

Thus guaranteeing that people will grow their own and deal it like they do currently. Brilliant. Sin taxes are for prudes and people for whom "healthy" is their religion.

The people who smoke cigarettes are miles more intelligent, and they still pay through the nose, so this lot'll be easier to extort money from.

Cigarettes don't really do anything besides make you wobbly unless you are addicted and they're quite unhealthy. Marijuana gets you high and his minor health effects.

Oh, and people have to sign something or other to say they are users - perfectly legally, but I'd still not employ them - I've seen just how feckless, useless and mind-numbingly tedious to be around.

Textbook example of prejudice...

Although somebody supports legalization, if anyone wonders why most people don't support it it's because of this kind of ignorance and prejudice.