Across the U.S a number of states are legalising marijuana despite pressure from certain groups to keep it illegal. Now though there’s a very good reason to legalise pot, it would bring in a lot of money.
According to The Kernel legalising marijuana on a federal level could have economic benefits for America raking in potentially billions of dollars.
They also claim that legalisation will provide top-down economic improvements in local economies plus save state governments money that they currently spend on law enforcement.
It’s estimated that in the U.S. that the average annual trade in marijuana is estimated at $113 billion, which would bring in nearly $45 billion in taxes should weed be legalised according to Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron.
Mr Miron claims that the tax revenue that the U.S. government is missing out on could fund a number of major civic projects including treating those with drug problems rather than locking them up.
The U.S. currently spends a colossal sum of money on it’s failing ‘War on Drugs’, an initiative that includes not just marijuana but also meth, heroin and cocaine.
If weed were legalised then The Kernel claims that America could stop wasting $1 trillion dollars on direct law enforcement to investigate those suspected of growing, trafficking and dealing weed.
They also claim that on a local level the production of weed, including growing, packaging and distributing the substance would provide jobs and opportunities for local communities.
Finally there’s tourism, Amsterdam is a popular tourist destination because it allows tourists to sample the delights of a whole host of marijuana related products. The U.S. could use legalised weed to bring in more tourists.
Sounds like there’s a lot of good reasons to legalise it to me.
