Legalized Marijuana: Growing Pains

The only way to legalize pot would appear to be to leave the government out of the idea.

This last weekend I was reading a detailed analysis of California’s attempt to tax legal marijuana sales.  The libertarian economist, Dan Mitchell, offers some data points on how the state’s economic forecast missed the mark by a wide margin.  Maybe the approach for liberal states would be to tell smokers they can grow their own legally for personal use (many already do) but not sell any.

And tell them to stay off the roads when smoking!  A professor of public policy writing at USA Today explains neighboring Colorado’s attempts to tax and legalize has created a host of social ills.  Most of which cost more than the revenue generated by the government.  And an illegal trade still exists and is doing better than ever.

I’m reminded of a story a friend from Washington State shared about weak legal weed.  The illegal smoke is the more popular and potent.

You can’t say legislators weren’t warned.