Law Enforcers Get Behind Legalisation

[SemperFiUSMC]

I would love a coherent debate on the issue of legalizing pot. I firmly believe that it is solely illegal to protect the alcohol industry. I also believe that the studies that have been conducted in the past were biased and flawed.

I would like REAL studies done on the socio-economic impact of changing the public policy concerning pot. If it is not warranted to keep it on the bad drug list, it should be removed. But I would like some sort of study, not just "dude, let's smoke a little grass and raise some taxes while we're doing it" type of implementation.

 

[downzero]

I would like REAL studies done on the socio-economic impact of changing the public policy concerning pot. If it is not warranted to keep it on the bad drug list, it should be removed. But I would like some sort of study, not just "dude, let's smoke a little grass and raise some taxes while we're doing it" type of implementation.

No problem. Here's one, done by a Nobel Prize winning economist:
http://home.uchicago.edu/~gbecker/illegalgoods_Becker_Grossman_Murphy.pdf

It contains this gem:

Our analysis shows, moreover, that using a monetary tax to discourage legal drug production could reduce drug consumption by more than even an efficient war on drugs. The market price of legal drugs with a monetary excise tax could be greater than the price induced by an optimal war on drugs, even when producers could ignore the monetary tax and consider producing in the underground economy. Indeed, the optimal monetary tax would exceed the optimal price due to a war on drugs if the demand for drugs is inelastic- as it appears to be- and if the demand function is unaffected by whether drugs are legal or not- the evidence on this is not clear. With these assumptions, the level of consumption that maximizes social welfare would be smaller if drugs were legalized and taxed optimally instead of the present policy of trying to enforce a ban on drugs.

And can be quoted by simply posting this copyright notice: © 2004 by Gary S. Becker, Kevin M. Murphy, and Michael Grossman.

Not just pot, btw.

 

[public servant]

Here's one, done by a Nobel Prize winning economist:

Those things just don't have the prestige they used to...

 

[downzero]

Those things just don't have the prestige they used to...

The Nobel Peace prize is not a nobel prize.

It has been given to terrorists, criminals, and war criminals.

Equating a Peace Prize with the Nobel Prize because they are given in the same name is ridiculous.

Furthermore, the Economic Sciences prize doesn't even share the same history as the other prizes.

Surely we can apply some common sense here and get rid of the notion that somehow, a "prize" given to politicians and war criminals is not the same as one given for a lifetime of academic and research achievement.

Is Einstein's Nobel in question, too, or is it okay for his name to equate with genius in our society? You pick.

 

[public servant]

Is Einstein's Nobel in question, too, or is it okay for his name to equate with genius in our society? You pick.

His never was in question. But when you hand one to a baffoon...it waters down the prestige and casts a shadow on the name.

IMO...of course...apparently they give them away to just anyone.

You are correct, however, that economics wasn't one of the 5 original prizes laid out in Nobel's will. Again...IMO...it should have been kept at the 5 original categories rather than allowing a Swiss bank to "buy" the Nobel name. But I guess if you have enough money...you can name anything you want.

 

[downzero]

His never was in question. But when you hand one to a baffoon...it waters down the prestige and casts a shadow on the name.

IMO...of course...apparently they give them away to just anyone.

You are correct, however, that economics wasn't one of the 5 original prizes laid out in Nobel's will. Again...IMO...it should have been kept at the 5 original categories rather than allowing a Swiss bank to "buy" the Nobel name. But I guess if you have enough money...you can name anything you want.

A baffoon? The Peace Prize is almost exclusively given to "baffoons." What does that have to do with the prizes that are actually given to scholars for their work?

If the Nobel Prize isn't the standard by which scholars of exceptional achievement in the relevant areas are measured, then what is?

Surely you must have some factual basis for the suggestion that the last 40 years of Economic Sciences Nobels mean nothing.

 

[public servant]

A baffoon? The Peace Prize is almost exclusively given to "baffoons." What does that have to do with the prizes that are actually given to scholars for their work?

If the Nobel Prize isn't the standard by which scholars of exceptional achievement in the relevant areas are measured, then what is?

Surely you must have some factual basis for the suggestion that the last 40 years of Economic Sciences Nobels mean nothing.

The economics prize name was bought by a bank. To me it doesn't mean squat.

Fact? The family of Alfred Nobel wants the economics prize abolished. It was given in 1994 to a man who was mentally ill...among other things. The history of the economics prize is full of controversy.

The Nobel Prizes should have been left to the 5 original categories of medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and peace.

They also give every kid a prize in little league. (But we really know the little trophies are meaningless)

 

[E5RANGER375]

cant we all just get along and win a nobel prize??? LOL

 

[public servant]

cant we all just get along and win a nobel prize??? LOL

A beer would have more meaning.

 

[E5RANGER375]

A beer would have more meaning.

I hear barry is inviting people over to his "white house" for beers

 

[public servant]

I hear barry is inviting people over to his "white house" for beers

I'm rather picky about who I drink with.

 

[downzero]

The economics prize name was bought by a bank. To me it doesn't mean squat.

Fact? The family of Alfred Nobel wants the economics prize abolished. It was given in 1994 to a man who was mentally ill...among other things. The history of the economics prize is full of controversy.

The Nobel Prizes should have been left to the 5 original categories of medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and peace.

Wow, just wow. Bagging on Nash now? Surely you must be joking?

I swear, sometimes I think the world is viewed by people on this site from having their heads shoved in the ground. Rather than merely respond to a document that has nearly 40 pages of text, including calculus that I probably couldn't do even with a computer's help, you respond with completely and utterly baseless claims that one of the authors must be an idiot because Barack Obama is an idiot, as if there's some sort of logical connection between those two things.

But you know what, maybe it really is that bad, considering who we've got in the White House. Maybe there's no reason to have any faith in the human race at all.

I really wonder about the future of this country. I hope my generation can do something about the education system. If logic and debate, which should be enhanced by the existence of a forum like this one, resorts to this kind of nonsensical rhetoric, I wonder how man can produce any meaningful amount of knowledge at all. It makes me truly sad to see things like this.

Maybe I shouldn't be so surprised. Maybe my anarchist friends are right. Democracy could never work if people like this get to cancel my vote.

 

[E5RANGER375]

Wow, just wow. Bagging on Nash now? Surely you must be joking?

I swear, sometimes I think the world is viewed by people on this site from having their heads shoved in the ground. Rather than merely respond to a document that has nearly 40 pages of text, including calculus that I probably couldn't do even with a computer's help, you respond with completely and utterly baseless claims that one of the authors must be an idiot because Barack Obama is an idiot, as if there's some sort of logical connection between those two things.

But you know what, maybe it really is that bad, considering who we've got in the White House. Maybe there's no reason to have any faith in the human race at all.

I really wonder about the future of this country. I hope my generation can do something about the education system. If logic and debate, which should be enhanced by the existence of a forum like this one, resorts to this kind of nonsensical rhetoric, I wonder how man can produce any meaningful amount of knowledge at all. It makes me truly sad to see things like this.

its the internets fault.

 

[lashicoN]

You do remember me mentioning the short list of things worth going to jail for...right?

As I said...pot is not on the list. Guns however are. It is a very short list.

Your list may vary.

My list is short too, here it is...

1. Freedom

 

[public servant]

Wow, just wow.

...you respond with completely and utterly baseless claims that one of the authors must be an idiot because Barack Obama is an idiot, as if there's some sort of logical connection between those two things.

Actually...no. I just stated that I felt the awards don't have the prestige they used to because they now give them to just any idiot and because they allow the awards to be bought into by outside interests.

You're the one that went all drama queen.

 

[downzero]

Actually...no. I just stated that I felt the awards don't have the prestige they used to because they now give them to just any idiot and because they allow the awards to be bought into by outside interests.

You're the one that went all drama queen.

Ahh, so the passage of time changed that. Well Obama won the prize in 2009, and Nash in 1994. Becker won his in 1992. So your claim still makes no sense at all.

 

[mrjarrell]

I would love a coherent debate on the issue of legalizing pot. I firmly believe that it is solely illegal to protect the alcohol industry. I also believe that the studies that have been conducted in the past were biased and flawed.

I would like REAL studies done on the socio-economic impact of changing the public policy concerning pot. If it is not warranted to keep it on the bad drug list, it should be removed. But I would like some sort of study, not just "dude, let's smoke a little grass and raise some taxes while we're doing it" type of implementation.

+1 Marine!
Looks like you are right on the money!

via Facebook, comes these little eye openers.

Beer Lobby Gives $10,000 To 'No' On Proposition 19 Pot Legalization - Los Angeles News - The Informer

Beer Distributors Contribute To Anti-Prop 19 Campaign | The 420 Times

 

[jbombelli]

I'm rather picky about who I drink with.

I am, too.

I would accept an invitation from Obama just so I could meet him, extend my hand to shake hands, and then retract it as he reached out, and smooth my hair. The older you get, the more people fall for that.

I would refuse to actually drink with him. I just want the chance to refuse to shake his hand.