Legalizing Marijuana: Costs vs Benefits

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2009/07/30/Marijuana_Economics

Police chief Scott Kirkland debates marijuana advocates Eugene Schoenfeld and Richard Lee over the costs and benefits of legalization. Kirkland argues that the tax revenue it generates will be offset by the increased public health costs, while Schoenfeld and Lee counter that keeping marijuana illegal insures unreasonably high crime rates associated with the drug.

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Marijuana is by some estimates California's largest cash crop, bringing in more than twice the revenue of vegetables, yet we don't tax this green. Legalizing and taxing pot could provide $1.3 billion to help our hemorrhaging economy, but it might also lead to additional problems and undermine anti-drug efforts. Is this crop just cash waiting to be reaped, or is it more complicated? Come hear advocates on both sides argue the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana. - Commonwealth Club of California

Scott Kirkland is the Chief of the El Cerrito Police Department. He is also a member of the board of directors of the California Police Chiefs Association.

Dr. Eugene Schoenfeld practices psychiatry, with a specialty in psychopharmacology. His work in psychopharmacology includes the study, diagnosis, and treatment of problems related to drug abuse and addiction. Since 1983, he has served on the Advisory Board of the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. Dr. Schoenfeld is a member of the court-appointed psychiatrist panels for the Superior Courts of Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Marin County, and San Francisco, CA. In 1997, the University of Miami School of Medicine selected him as a Distinguished Alumnus.

Richard Lee has been working to end cannabis prohibition for 17 years. In 1999, he opened the Bulldog Coffeeshop, the second cannabis outlet in "Oaksterdam". In 2003 Lee founded the Oakland Civil Liberties Alliance, the PAC that passed Oakland's Measure Z making private sales, cultivation, and possession of cannabis the lowest law enforcement priority and mandating that Oakland tax and regulate cannabis as soon as possible under state law. In 2007, he founded the first cannabis college in the United States, Oaksterdam University. Since 2005, Lee has been serving on the City of Oakland Cannabis Regulation and Revenue Ordinance Commission, which was created after Measure Z passed with 65% of the vote 2004. He manages several other Oaksterdam companies, including the Oaksterdam Gift Shop and Nursery.

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[steven781227]

putting all arguments aside. people should be able to choose what they want to do. government was formed to help people, not enslave us.

[Apiaanilol]

@88bluebirds You sir, are either a good troll, or really fucking dumb

[mcshair21]

@Apiaanilol I don't know how many times I've thought this

[SuperSkyster]

The only people that are against re-legalizing hemp would either be just ignorant, or criminal drug dealers who are afraid of losing their money. Safe or unsafe is not a valid argument. You could go down to the gas station and blow yourself up if you were stupid enough, because gasoline is an unsafe substance, but it's legal to have it.

[PoopyThumb]

LOL 20lbs, good argument

[cjl85uk]

@OpinionatedJackAss

tainted, out of date, propaganda driven image.

reform the image.

re-educate the public.

rebuild the world.

waste of time and money and lives - because the day will come when WE shall see sense.

[TheCutterschoice]

@OpinionatedJackAss so true

[OpinionatedJackAss]

cont...case in point: if you take a guy who's about to rob a convenient store and gave him alcohol, he is likely to end up killing the clerk. but; if you gave him cannabis, he probably would change his mind, and not even commit the crime to begin with. cannabis is not illegal because it's a dangerous drug. it has nothing to do with the fact that it's a drug. that's merrily the weapon used to keep it illegal.

[OpinionatedJackAss]

Police chief Scott Kirkland is obviously in cahoots with the dea and the military complex. comparing cannabis to alcohol, is like comparing cigarettes to soda pop. (this would never happen;) but, we could only hope and pray the heavy alcohol drinkers would switch to cannabis. if they all did, America would see a huge decrees in crime.

[TheNicko89]

@lingsun52 and again an uneducated person mixes up weed and herion well done buddy nice try

[TheNicko89]

@88bluebirds haha id love to see ye slap me for smoking weed id pin ye down and force you to smoke it then u will finaly see ters notin wrong with it hahaha but i all fairness its none of ur buisness wether other people smoke it or not. is your life actually that bad you have to try and control others

[claudelebel55]

@lingsun52 You can say the same thing about alcoholics.