The first thing that would have to be done is to repeal ALL federal laws prohibiting cannabis. This plan refers to state legislation only; the federal government has no Constitutional basis for controlling what people ingest, and therefore no power to make laws about it.
Make cultivation of cannabis legal through a Cannabis Tax Act. Make several levels of Tax Stamps available, according to how much one wanted to grow, and whether or not the crop was for personal use or for resale.
Bring marijuana under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and provide the same penalties for unlawful distribution/sales as for alcohol. Increase penalties for distribution of either substance to minors.
Declare a limited moratorium to allow (currently illegal) marijuana dealers to either sell their product to the government at a fair (wholesale) market value, or to set themselves up in legitimate business. This would also allow the government or private growers time to grow sufficient supplies.
Distribute marijuana from State Liquor Stores and/or local 'coffee shops', and treat it exactly like alcohol products in regards to sales/age restrictions and abuse issues.
Revenues generated from this plan will come from two sources: direct income from growers' taxes, and indirect income in the form of savings to law enforcement and the penal industries across the nation. These new revenues could be used to provide honest information as to drugs and their effects.
Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it? It has been estimated that marijuana users spend over $100 billion a year on their drug of choice, and there's no sign of anyone stopping.
Why won't the federal government recognize that?
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