A way to properly legalize marijuana

Cast away the real temptation.

I am not a defender of pot, not a user or even an enabler. But I do have to admit people want it and if we allow alcohol and tobacco to be used, why not pot?

If I were an elected official to the US Congress and Senate and marijuana advocates come to me seeking support, I would say yes but with several conditions. 

First, let me say something: I believe that the biggest cause of murders in the US is crime related to the trafficking of drugs. We still believe we have a war on drugs, but truly that was never the case. We had the equivalent of shitty skirmish against a well-organized and funded guerrilla group who was no fear inflicting damage. We are wasting a lot of time fighting illegal pot growers and dealers while we could concentrate resources on the hard stuff.

But the legalization of the selling of marijuana has not improved anything since highly regulated pot merchandiser compete against unregulated growers and are consistently losing. The legal pot biz is not making money because the illegal ones are making a bit less expensive and easier to find and will continue to do so till they bankrupt the competition. At the end of the day, money not only talks, but actually it screams. Profit is king.

But what if we dethrone the king? what if cartels cannot make money out of pot? what if nobody can make money out of pot? What if there is no criminalization in the private grow and consumption of cannabis? You can grow it, you can smoke it, you can share it with your friends, make brownies and other edibles, but under the heaviest of penalties, you cannot make one penny of profit?

Free private distribution of seeds for personal growth? Yes. Free seedlings? Of course? Gifting plants you personally grown to friends? Please do so. Teaching people for free how to cultivate and harvest cannabis? Be my guest. No penalties for possession or free distribution. The one big exception would be to minors same as we do with booze and alcohol. All other DUI and restrictions at work remain.

True marijuana activists should embrace the idea they can share the assume benefits they tout without evil money getting in the way. I know health care professionals will dislike the idea (and I agree, inserting any smoke in your lungs is dumb and dangerous) but the biggest opposition will come from those who seek to profit from marijuana sales: Cartels and Governments. The first ones because of the direct income from the sales and the others because they will lose tax revenue from sales plus all the juicy taxpayers’ money to “fight” the pot problem. I don’t think even cops would bitch much about the Free Pot movement other than not driving stoned out of your gourd.

I am sure I am not the first one to come up with something like this, but I have not heard it, so I share it.

But back to the top and activist asking my support if I was an elected official: there is a quid pro quo for my support for free pot and that would be a total and very nasty war against all hard drugs. Cocaine, meth, opiates, etc. will be targeted in a 10-20-Life sentencing structure after legally lowering the amounts for possession with intention to distribute. Modeled after the Florida law about the use of firearms in a crime, it goes like this: First offense is mandatory ten years of prison, second offense gets you 20 years also mandatory, and a third offense or death of somebody caused by drugs you pushed makes you the recipient of Life without parole. And I would be all happy to add a mandatory enhancement if you are caught with a firearm while dealing.

Obviously, it needs some tweaking, but I believe the principle is correct: get rid of the monetary attraction and the business part collapses.

PS: While we are at it, I also believe that the private brewing of beer, wine making and the making of liquor should be absolved from taxation.