Estimated effect of marijuana legalization on irish economy?

Sea Sharp

I was reading this article and it says that people are giving serious consideration to legalizing marijuana in the state of California. IT is estimated that legalization would raise $2.4 billion in tax revenues for the state of California.

Anybody any idea what legalization of marijuana would contribute to the Irish economy.
Bearing in mind increased tourism as well as money from taxation.

TheInquisitor

Completely for this and legalization of all drugs. How long have we been fighting the war. It will never stop. Portugal has legalised all drugs. It worked for them. Drug use has FALLEN since it has been legalised. Save money from fighting the drugs and make money from growing them. Put the money into the health care syatem then to combat any increase in health care issues.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.html

population

Now now. The breweries would not be very happy if marijuana was legal now would they!!!

Joey the lips

I think yes harsh should be lealised as an experament then if this is successful we can look at other drugs.

However I also think that random drug test should be brought in if this happens as I do not agree with a coke head driving my kids to school!

Sea Sharp

Well the percentage of the population smoking probably wouldn't rise enormously after legislation.

Guards aren't strict about small quantities.
People smoke it regardless, the government might as well make money off the trade.

population

Agreed. Makes absolutely no sense for it to be illegal and for the state not to take some revenue from it.

population

Also the biggest problem I had when I smoked a bit in my teens/early twenties was that it introduced me to drug dealers. I would have much preferred to have just had a civilised smoke in a Cafe than having to deal with some of the scum that I did.

silverharp

You have to add in all the police, court and prison time. The state could save a fourtune if all drug use was decriminised and some kind of registered addict scheme introduced.

TheInquisitor

It would immediately put all drug dealers out of business, how many lives could be saved because the drug wars would stop. 18 people murdered so far because of gang related violence, already more than last years total of 17

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/capitals-murder-rate-one-of-the-highest-in-europe-1806545.html

Kama

The bright side of economic collapse being that enforcement and penal expenditures make legalization make more and more sense, and we definitely need the revenue.

Can't really complain about organized crime, when you grant them a government-guaranteed monopoly...

TheInquisitor

Thats exactly it. Look at what happened when Alcohol was prohibited in america and subsequently legalized again. Massive increase in gangs, murders and deaths because of the gang wars that took hold in america, one of the most notable gang leaders being Al Capone. Did alcohol sales fall? No all the money just went into the hands of the criminals. Also the drink was not regulated so it caused an increase in health problems.

If drugs are legalised the government can regulate them to make them safer , take the money away from the drug dealers and use the money to fund any health problems associated with drugs. People say that you can't legalise them because some people might develop health problems. The problem is some people will always overuse things.

There will always be alcoholics but we've learnt you cannot prohibit its sale as that only causes more problems than it solves. There will always be obese people but we cannot ban chocolate or fast food. Its peoples right to choose what they do with their bodies.

My belief is the tax on those drugs or whatever it may be is used to fund the health problems associated with it. Then in a roundabout way people are paying for the increased risk of health problems.

discostick12

If the govn legalised it it would stop a lot of problems. The biggest one would get rid of the drug dealers.
Tax the **** out of it and keep everyone happy!

BraziliaNZ

Good idea but will NEVER NEVER NEVER happen, I mean they wont even let us have a drink after 1130 and you think they're going to let us buy coke and heroin in shops? Unless other Euro countries started legalising stuff it will never happen here.