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**Wezil** · December 18, 2010, 13:56

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui View Post

No, and I smoke marijuana currently (WTF!)

Well, someone may vote for this if they are a drug dealer, as the War on Drugs artificially keeps the prices higher.

And if someone believes that legalization would increase the price, they don't have any idea of basic economics.

I am glad I will never have to say "I told you so".

**DanS** · December 18, 2010, 14:09

Undecided. I don't smoke it.

**Wezil** · December 18, 2010, 14:13

Decriminalizing may lead to a reduction in price but legalization implies regulation and taxation. Anyone that thinks prices would fall once this happens just doesn't understand how governments work.

**Imran Siddiqui** · December 18, 2010, 14:19

Do you actually think that inflation adjusted, that the price for alcohol was cheaper during Prohibition than it is today?

**-Jrabbit** · December 18, 2010, 18:58

Well? Was it?

**Imran Siddiqui** · December 18, 2010, 19:08

From CATO institute analysis:

Alcohol Prohibition Was a Failure, Cato Policy Analysis

http://www.scribd.com/doc/31267826/Alcohol-Prohibition-Was-a-Failure-Cato-Policy-Analysis

Executive Summary National prohibition of alcohol (1920-33)--the "noble experiment"--was undertaken to reduce crime and corruption, solve social problems, reduce the tax burden created by prisons and poorhouses, and improve health and hygiene in America. The results of that experiment clearly indicate that it was a miserable failure on all counts. The evidence affirms sound economic theory, which predicts that prohibition of mutually beneficial exchanges is doomed to failure. The lessons of Prohibition remain important today. They apply not only to the debate over the war on drugs but also to the mounting efforts to drastically reduce access to alcohol and tobacco and to such issues as censorship and bans on insider trading, abortion, and gambling.[1] Although consumption of alcohol fell at the beginning of Prohibition, it subsequently increased. Alcohol became more dangerous to consume; crime increased and became "organized"; the court and prison systems were stretched to the breaking point; and corruption of public officials was rampant. No measurable gains were made in productivity or reduced absenteeism. Prohibition removed a significant source of tax revenue and greatly increased government spending. It led many drinkers to switch to opium, marijuana, patent medicines, cocaine, and other dangerous substances that they would have been unlikely to encounter in the absence of Prohibition. Those results are documented from a variety of sources, most of which, ironically, are the work of supporters of Prohibition--most economists and social scientists supported it. Their findings make the case against Prohibition that much stronger.[2]

Fisher used retail alcohol prices to demonstrate that Prohibition was working by raising the price and decreasing the
quantity produced. However, his price quotations also revealed that the Iron Law of Prohibition was at work. The price
of beer increased by more than 700 percent, and that of brandies increased by 433 percent, but spirit prices in creased
by only 270 percent, which led to an absolute in crease in the consumption of spirits over pre-Prohibition levels.

Inflation hasn't increased by anything close to that.

**bc1871** · December 18, 2010, 19:25

The last thing we need is the government legalizing the “stoned slacker” lifestyle!

If anything, we need to enforce tougher penalties on marijuana users....a few 10 year prison terms would cure their addiction pretty damn fast.

**Kuciwalker** · December 18, 2010, 19:41

**Kuciwalker** · December 18, 2010, 19:41

What other 'lifestyles' should be illegal?

**giblets** · December 18, 2010, 19:43

Originally posted by Alpha Protocol View Post

I'm sure most of you have heard the phrase that the only people who support marijuana legalization are people who smoke it. While that is in fact true, atleast for the most part, I still don't understand the potheads.

**bc1871** · December 18, 2010, 19:56

Originally posted by Kuciwalker View Post

What other 'lifestyles' should be illegal?

Well it would be great, if anti-sodomy laws were reintroduced but unfortunately I think the ship may have sailed on that issue.

Also Wiccan and Druid lifestyles should be banned as well, since they only encourage the country’s youth to become suicidal vagrants, who will eventually fill up beds at sanitariums, costing the taxpayer a hell of a lot money.

**Kuciwalker** · December 18, 2010, 20:10

Wait, guys, is bc1871 trolling? It's just hard to believe...

**bc1871** · December 18, 2010, 20:28

Originally posted by bc1871 View Post

Well it would be great, if anti-sodomy laws were reintroduced but unfortunately I think the ship may have sailed on that issue.

Also Wiccan and Druid lifestyles should be banned as well, since they only encourage the country’s youth to become suicidal vagrants, who will eventually fill up beds at sanitariums, costing the taxpayer a hell of a lot money.

I do fully support the reintroduction of sodomy laws!

As per Druids, and the like they generally are nothing more than a burden on the welfare system, and will with no doubt in my mind, either turn to drug abuse or the welfare system, so for the good of these rather misguided people, it’d be better if the government put a stop to their rather degenerate lifestyle in the first place.

**Aeson** · December 18, 2010, 20:52

**Aeson** · December 18, 2010, 20:52

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