Pot Legalization Could Save U.S. $13.7 Billion Per Year, 300 Economists Say

More than 300 economists, including three nobel laureates, have signed a petition calling attention to the findings of a paper by Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron, which suggests that if the government legalized marijuana it would save $7.7 billion annually by not having to enforce the current prohibition on the drug. The report added that legalization would save an additional $6 billion per year if the government taxed marijuana at rates similar to alcohol and tobacco.

That’s as much as $13.7 billion per year, but it’s still minimal when compared to the federal deficit, which hit $1.5 trillion last year, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

While the economists don’t directly call for pot legalization, the petition asks advocates on both sides to engage in an “open and honest debate” about the benefits of pot prohibition.

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The marijuana express just keepson rolling.  Won’t be long now before Marijuana is legal.  The only bad thing or problem I could see from it being legalized is that it will be taxed and sold like cigerettes.  Anotherwards, I could see them making it illegal to grow it unless you have a permit or something like that and that is also NOT what people want.  They want to be able to grow it and smokewhenever and wherveer they want to.  It’s a damn plant. -Mort