Democratic debates

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by MTK

The rabbit hole is much deeper than taxes. How about what keeping it illegal costs us.

Marijuana Prohibition Now Costs The Government $20 Billion A Year: Economist

Matty, again, he's saying it costs all state and federal governments combined $20 billion. Do you know what the federal budget is, in total? $3.8 trillion. So let's not even bother adding in the 50 state budgets into that and just stick with the $3.8 trillion.

$20 billion as a % of $3.8 trillion is 0.5%.

If I convert that in terms of the NFL salary cap, because you know I like that shit, 0.5% of the $153 million salary cap is $765,000. In other words it's one veteran minimum (! lol) salary player.

It's not a big issue.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

Matty, again, he's saying it costs all state and federal governments combined $20 billion. Do you know what the federal budget is, in total? $3.8 trillion. So let's not even bother adding in the 50 state budgets into that and just stick with the $3.8 trillion.



$20 billion as a % of $3.8 trillion is 0.5%.



If I convert that in terms of the NFL salary cap, because you know I like that shit, 0.5% of the $153 million salary cap is $765,000. In other words it's one veteran minimum (! lol) salary player.



It's not a big issue.

I understand in terms of the numbers, but all this over a relatively benign substance, putting people in prison and ruining lives over it, is absurd.

And $20b is still $20b, I'm sure that could be allocated more wisely.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by MTK

I understand in terms of the numbers, but all this over a relatively benign substance, putting people in prison and ruining lives over it, is absurd.

And $20b is still $20b, I'm sure that could be allocated more wisely.

Yeah no argument that its about as benign as alcohol and tobacco, maybe even more so. But it's a freakin recreation. We have serious injustices to deal with in this country, from healthcare costs and coverage to equal pay for women to how we deal with international terror threats, etc. etc.

You can't prioritize a recreational activity over these much more serious matters, not on the basis of $ cost and not on the basis of the gravity of the impact on the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness (the most important being life).