Legalising cannabis in UK 'would raise hundreds of millions'

Headline straight from the Independent:

Legalising cannabis would raise taxes worth hundreds of millions of pounds and produce large savings for the criminal justice system, a private analysis for the Treasury has concluded.

It judged that regulating cannabis, which was used by more than two million people in the UK last year, could generate “notable tax revenue” and “lead to overall savings to public services”.

The Treasury study, seen by The Independent, was commissioned by the former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg ahead of the general election to help formulate Liberal Democrat drugs policy if the party remained in office.

Never let a good Idiocracy go to waste I say. And this is a really good one.

No matter if you are pot user or not, most people would agree that we could use the money. Seems to be ok that many people die due to alcohol, but that is some sort of cultural heritage I guess? Well... Ötzi had some seeds on him, cultural usage for ages seems to apply on cannabis as well. Don't wanna go that far back in time? How about some Secretly stored 2,700 years old Cannabis found in grave in Gobi Desert of China?

Geez... Troika-austerity-cuts all over this place called EU and yet not a single good idea in sight. I don't wanna debate usage nor do I recommend anything. But additional tax incomes, especially in times of economic turmoil, is a solid point we should we able to discuss.

Thanks for consideration, have a great time!

a reply to: PublicOpinion

Yep. Then what happens when that revenue stream is squandered? Legalize heroin? Child prostitution?

How about you stop spending all the money on supporting illegal aliens and socialist programs.

a reply to: HighDesertPatriot

Legalize heroin

Well, they tested that for years with rather great success. We have such laws in place now, for hard-core junkies that could use some help. Yes.

Der Spiegel

Child prostitution already seems to be legal as well, for some 'supreme' circles. You know...

The Daily Beast

Not saying that would be good, but you compared child-prostitution to pot-legalisation. Now we know how far you would bend 'logics' to defend an idiotic dogma. Next, please!

originally posted by: HighDesertPatriot
a reply to: PublicOpinion

Yep. Then what happens when that revenue stream is squandered? Legalize heroin? Child prostitution?

Did you just liken marijuana to heroin and child prostitution? Your a certain kind of special aren't you?

This backwards thinking is why it's still illegal...sigh

originally posted by: HighDesertPatriot
a reply to: PublicOpinion

Yep. Then what happens when that revenue stream is squandered? Legalize heroin? Child prostitution?

How about you stop spending all the money on supporting illegal aliens and socialist programs.

Try and keep up....

Is that what's happening in Colorado?

www.cnn.com...

btw....How about you stop spending all the money on supporting bogus BS wars that only profit those dealing in death and blood.

watson.brown.edu...

a reply to: olaru12

Props. Op this would surely be wonderful for the UK. My state Colorado has a population barely over 5 million and we surpassed 100 million dollars in sales in September alone. You read that right. Colorado is on track to sale over 1 Billion dollars in marijuana this year. 750 million in the past 9 months alone.

30 million has already gone directly to schools this year alone. Besides that, each and every dollar in sales is taxed money being spent in house. It is awesome. The roads in my city this year went from post apocolyptic to near perfect.


This is a very reliable source of revenue that will work anywhere. And honestly places like CO and WA have already done all the heavy lifting. I mean as far as setting up a market, regs, etc.

A group from the UK could spend just a week conferencing with the right group here and all the details would be figured out no sweat.

a reply to: Vector99

This backwards thinking is why it's still illegal...sigh

That might actually even help to legalize it. As long as they argue irrational within their Idiocracy-field, we'll have a great opportunity to completely deconstruct all the desinfo with a laid-back rational approach.

I'll suggest to star his post now. We don't need to agree with him to be aware, that his comment will be highly (ups) usefull for the whole debate.

a reply to: lightedhype

A group from the UK could spend just a week conferencing with the right group here and all the details would be figured out no sweat.

Send in the whole Eurogroup. We need to do things in a big way!

Colorado is a very good example, ty folks.

a reply to: PublicOpinion

I think the muzzies would end that after they take control.

a reply to: PublicOpinion

Probably a lot more than that OP.
Here are the figures of all Cannabis sales in America(Illegal and legal) compared to other legal cash crops.
(Value $1,000's)
1 Marijuana $35,803,591

2 Corn $23,299,601

3 Soybeans $17,312,200

4 Hay $12,236,638

5 Vegetables $11,080,733

6 Wheat $7,450,907

7 Cotton $5,314,870
Source

It would be in the billions. Here in Colorado we are at $100 million in tax revenue a MONTH in legal sales.
Source
The figures on this plant are absolutely amazing. I'm starting to see why the industrial world fears it so much. If a nation were to fully exploit cannabis and hemp and make it their primary export they would rival china...

originally posted by: JAY1980
a reply to: PublicOpinion

Probably a lot more than that OP.
Here are the figures of all Cannabis sales in America(Illegal and legal) compared to other legal cash crops.
(Value $1,000's)
1 Marijuana $35,803,591

2 Corn $23,299,601

3 Soybeans $17,312,200

4 Hay $12,236,638

5 Vegetables $11,080,733

6 Wheat $7,450,907

7 Cotton $5,314,870
Source

It would be in the billions. Here in Colorado we are at $100 million in tax revenue a MONTH in legal sales.
Source
The figures on this plant are absolutely amazing. I'm starting to see why the industrial world fears it so much. If a nation were to fully exploit cannabis and hemp and make it their primary export they would rival china...

DING DING DING!!!

Scares the # out of all big business because, well anyone can grow it with relative ease, and the uses for it...take a look yourself.

4. Fuel

Hemp can be made into fuel in two ways: the oil from the pressed hempseed can be turned into biodiesel, or the fermented stalk can be made into ethanol and methanol. Biodiesel is completely biodegradable and a much cleaner fuel for the air. Even the exhaust produced from burning hempseed biodiesel has a pleasant smell. Although hemp is not the greatest alternative to fuel that is available, hemp fuel can be used temporarily because it can be used in all the existing vehicles today without making any alterations. Both sources of hemp fuel are non-toxic and are completely biodegradable.

a reply to: JAY1980

Holy cow! Many ... ehm... peanuts!

The combined $100.6 million in marijuana sales continues the month-to-month record-setting trend for 2015.

The Denver Post

That's what I would call a bursting market. Looking forward to the numbers for this month, ya know... Halloween and all that. More record sales ahead!

Alaska

Marijuana - $129,223
Hay - $6,820

Drugscience



Winter is coming?

That was fun and very informative to say the least. TY!

a reply to: PublicOpinion

Not just the UK my friend, indeed all western countries where this plant is illegal stand to increase revenue flow via taxation offsets, simply by legalizing the recreational use of this plant.

A Plant........a god-damn plant.

Government: "No - you can't grow or use this plant"
Citizen: "but, what about the tobacco plant, or that trinidad scorpion chilli plant there - both of them hospitalize more people than this plant"
Government: (ignores the argument and reverts to circular logic) "No - you can't grow or use this plant because MJ will kill you, every time"

originally posted by: butcherguy
a reply to: PublicOpinion

I think the muzzies would end that after they take control.

Could you please explain that to a Kraut (is it a pun? Yes it is!) in a retarded way?

Now to be fair with the revenue numbers from Colorado, it is only that high (pun intended) because people from outside Colorado tend to make lots of weekend vacations there, so not ALL of the tax dollars generated are from Colorado citizens.

a reply to: Sublimecraft

And if MJ doesn't kill you - we surely will!

And we kill those people.

www.tehomet.net...



Well roared, lion sublime!

a reply to: Vector99

The same effect led to stricter laws in the Swiss and the Netherlands due to all that potourism. An easy solution would be to legalize it everywhere else as well. Nah, we better forget about that. It's way too easy, innit?

a reply to: PublicOpinion

Me, I'd legalize almost all illegal drugs, obviously under varying degrees of control and limits etc.

But hey, why change current drug policies, they are clearly working so well?

Oh, and how would we fill all those privately owned prisons if such a common sense and libertarian approach were to be taken?

a reply to: Freeborn

legalize almost all illegal drugs

It's not necessarily a bad idea to go that road. In fact quite the opposite is true, as recent studies showed.

The parliament approved a state distribution of heroin to serious addicts. While the SPD, Greens and Left Party are celebrating the vote, the Union railed against it - and accuses the SPD coalition is broken.
...
The basis for the decision, a study in Bonn, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Karlsruhe, Cologne and Munich from 2002 to 2006. The decision to continue the study [by the end of next operated heroin] in the seven model cities has been secured...

Der Spiegel

Kinda clumsy translation, but they still continue with this "study". Same story in Switzerland: crime goes down, people are better and they're mostly socially integrated.

SRF

originally posted by: HighDesertPatriot
a reply to: PublicOpinion

Yep. Then what happens when that revenue stream is squandered? Legalize heroin? Child prostitution?

How about you stop spending all the money on supporting illegal aliens and socialist programs.

Squandered? These four legal states have more and more incoming revenue from tourism to locals paying in on it. It's a popular drug, and always will be. UK and other places really need to take into considerations of the positive outcomes of legal US states and a country, Uruguay being the first legal one.

The stale and declining economies are pushing socialist programs to be accepted. They will be accepted with the downfall of crony capitalism(US). What's going to turn that around when industry is dead, the TPP will kill it more, All those that have useless degree now that racked up debt because they can only find work in the service industry which can't pay the bills. Two or three jobs to just have a roof over their head? Good luck finding one job.