By Emma Rosenbaum
Sports Editor
The economy is in its worst state since the Great Depression, and California’s $19.9 billion budget deficit has grown to be the largest nationwide. Without trying everything possible to get out of the economic hole that California has dug itself into, debts will continue to grow indefinitely.
Marijuana should not be seen as one of California’s problems. Legalizing it would greatly alleviate California’s budget crisis.
Collecting taxes on cannabis products creates revenue for the state. Currently, the state wastes taxpayers money and law enforcement resources prosecuting marijuana-related offenses instead of more severe crimes.
According to the Cato Institute, legalizing marijuana would bring in $8.7 billion annually via taxes, saved legal fees and fines. These savings would cut California’s budget deficit nearly in half, increasing the amount of money that could be spent on reforming California’s education and health care systems in California.
According to The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, there are 65,000 to 85,000 people incarcerated in this country for marijuana-related crimes. The legalization of marijuana would alleviate the stress on California’s prison system.
The opposition to Prop 19 claims that the gaps in the proposition will have serious unintended effects on public safety and workplaces. If anything, bringing marijuana under government -control will bring down chances of marijuana-related crime.
In the 1930s, when the prohibition of alcohol was repealed in the U.S., organized crime went down significantly because there was no longer a need for it. The same can be predicted for marijuana.
The effects of the Great Depression radiated throughout America and the rest of the world until the late 1940s. America has suffered greatly through economic hardships since 2008. It is irresponsible to not make every attempt at salvaging the situation, and Proposition 19 presents an opportunity to do so.
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