A new report from the Cato Institute has said New Jersey spent about $183,039,000 and Pennsylvania spent about $190,445,000 on marijuana enforcement. That includes policing, prosecuting, and incarcerating marijuana offenses in 2008 alone.
This is why we should take that money we would normally spend on enforcement and use it for education or hospitals. The Cato white paper includes a state by state breakdown of drug prohibition and related costs. Through researching the current expenses could be projected into real-world savings, which could be given to state and municipalities so that we don’t have waste taxpayer money.
The report also estimated the potential revenues that legalization of marijuana could be. They say if taxed and regulated like cigarettes or alcohol, the tax revenue would generate about $80 million annually for NJ and over $119 million for Pennsylvania annually.
All I know is that something needs to change because we have more sick people now and more people on marijuana than ever before. People are realizing it is safer than alcohol and some over the counter medicines. I say, “Stay Free, Legalize Weed”
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Tags: Cato Institute, enforcement, Marijuana, millions, spent
