What if I told you I could show you a plan that would double the police force with no increase in cost? Would I have your attention? Good!

Ok, maybe I misled you somewhat on that statement, but I got your attention.

What I meant by this statement, is not doubling the force, but cutting the
workload drastically, so you could do the things you can't do now in law enforcement.

This plan would also eliminate having to expand our prison, and probation system for the next 30 years, or so.

This plan would give agriculture a real boost, not only here in the United States, but really, Worldwide.

This plan could generate enough taxes, or "user fees" to balance the revenue shortfall we always seem to have in this Nation. And the overwhelming majority of the Taxpayers, who would pay this fee, would happily pay it.

This plan would strike a blow to organized crime, and certainly lower the "gun" death rate in our nation.

All this, and more is possible by legalizing Marijuana as a recreational drug.
Whoa - lost about half of you there - turn back to the light, and at least hear me out.

Would you rather have government control of marijuana, or have organized crime control, as it is now?

The reason it is a "gateway" drug is because of who, and where you may have to go to obtain it.

Drug dealers can be unscrupulous, and the motive, like all business, is of course profit, and advantage. The more pruducts you sell, the bigger the profit, the more the advantage.

If recreational pot were sold in liquor stores, it could be controlled at least as much as alcohol and cigarettes are.

Literally, millions of dollars change hands daily, in an underground economy not seen since prohibition.

The infrastructure is essentially in place to collect fees, or taxes, much the same as alcohol and cigarettes are.And THESE taxpayers would be happy to pay it. I don't think you'd get a negative view from a single purchaser. (unless he used to be a dealer.)

The herb could be grown much the same as tobbacco crops, which are regulated by the government. And once again, the infrastructure is essentially in place for this.

Law enforcement would get a big break from having to investigate, prosecute, and incarcerate pot dealers, because they would be eliminated.

Casual Tokers, could eliminate the paranoia often associated with smoking herb.

Probation agents' loads would be considerably lightened. Courts would have time for real crimes.

Agriculture, worldwide, would have new crops they could legally raise, replacing coca, and opium production in some places. Here at home, farmers could once again grow hemp, and marijuana, as legal crops.

Hemp could easily replace coal as a renewable, clean fuel. It can also be turned into cellulose ethanol, which is better than using corn, because the waste product from hemp can be burned to produce the energy needed to fuel the ethanol production itself.

Hemp fibers can be made into clothing, hats and a number of wearable items. and let's not forget the strong rope that hemp can make. It was used by our own Navy, up thru WWII.

The chart that follows, compares the number of deaths attributed to selected substances in a typical year:

Tobacco.....340,000 - 395,000
Alcohol (excluding crime/accidents).....125,000
Drug overdose (prescription).....14,000 - 27,000
Drug overdose (illegal).....3,800 - 5,200
Marijuana.....0
*Source: U.S. Government Bureau of Mortality Statistics, 1987.

Up until about 1917, almost 40% of medicines contained some marijuana derivative of one type or another.

On a relative scale, marijuana is less habit forming than sugar, or chocolate, but more so than anchovies.

Nobody wants pot to be easily accessible to children.(Except drug dealers.)

I have come upon THE solution to the government's refusal to allow medical marijuana approval.

The Government position has always been that it has not proven to be an effective drug. No clinical trials are allowed, hence no proof.

The Food and Drug administration, which has fought tooth and nail against legalization of marijuana as a drug is not the agency we should be addressing. I contend it should be The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobbacco and Firearms. This is the appropriate agency to be applying to, for legalization as a recreational drug.

There is no reason in the world that this Federal Agency would not find a way to cooperate in this endeavor. They are, after all, an agency dedicated to revenue flow
to the government, along with enforcement, for recreational drugs, such as Alcohol, and Tobbacco, for instance.

Now, consider this underground economy, which daily spews millions of untaxed dollars to Drug Dealers, worldwide. Talk about revenue flow. We could tap into this by merely decriminalizing marijuana as a recreational drug and taxing it accordingly.

Nationwide,literally millions of people light up on a regular basis every day. Why not tap into this revenue, and at the same time, allow millions of Americans to exhale, finally, and be law abiding citizens.

Imagine taking real control of our borders. By legalizing marijuana imports from countries like Mexico, thru ports of entry, instead of underground tunnels, which it seems, they can dig faster than we can find them.

Instead of poisoning thier land, and children from the air, as is done in some countries, by our government, they would have a viable, legal crop to help raise thier families. Hence, no need to illegally enter the U.S. for work. I'm not saying it will stop illegal entry, only that it will slow it.

So, I ask the question again; Would you rather have government control of marijuana, or have organized crime control, as it is now?