How much money would America Save and make if drugs were legalized?

How would it change your life? I don't do drugs but could care less if you do, might as well tax it since you'll find a way to get it anyways and the prisons are over occupied as is. How much is the war on drugs costing per year and the cost of imprisoning them?

Public Comments

1. A nation of zombies? No thanks.
2. Not as much as you think, because legalizing them would drive the prices down because of the ease of manufacturing. The reason that illegal drug prices are high is that there is great risk for the people making and distributing them.
3. well... i doubt they will save money, but the cops would be able to focus on things that actually effect others. in make, i would say if you quadruple what they make off of tobacco tax, thats how much
4. Millions a year! But, not legalize all drugs, only cannabis! There are too many people serving time in prison for the least habit forming & less dangerous drug than most of the other drugs that are on the streets, keep those drugs illegal.
5. The expensive part of the war on drugs is well the war on it. putting a tax on drugs such as marijuana would benefit the economy. exact dollar amounts..i do not know. selling marijuana in stores would easy. as far as the other stuff that is much more tricky.
6. Billions. I wonder how many of the people who are so against marijuana, drink? Alcohol is the #1 drug. Doesn't anyone get that? That, and cigarettes. Anyone on pain meds? Good luck getting off of them. It wouldn't change my life in any way other than I wouldn't have to be speaking out for reform. I've been smoking pot for 30 years and I have a very good profession, with an excellent work record. I'm not addicted to prescription meds. I don't drink or smoke cigarettes. How many others can say that? Good grief.
7. Sounds like a great plan to me. Take the money out of it and the issue goes away. It's not the drugs, but the money it generates. Any one ever try to get treatment for drugs, unless your rich its a joke. There is a treatment facility near, but its $400 a day, but they do take visa.
8. notadummy: we already are a nation of zombies, just look at all of the peopel that drink, smoke, do drugs illegally and are overall mindless. volleyball: you're definetely right about the price of drugs lowering and the production being shifted to big companies like phillip morris, but the money saved was meant as in the amount the government would save if they didn't have to enforce drug prohibitions and the amount saved from having less people incarcerated. As far as my life it wouldn't change it much I'd probably have more competition for jobs, housing, etc due to there being more people out there in the streets. I think I would have to worry about being in public places with people that could be on coke or heroin that could be going out driving and such. But I think most people are sensible enough to stay away from really hard drugs like those. I think lots of people would pick up weed in the same way they smoke cigarrettes though. Would be a nice tax revenue though and it would be nice to see cops focus on more productive things relating to violent crimes, fraud, destruction of property etc, instead of arresting the same people over and over again. Overall I think it would do more good then harm, its not like drug prohibition or alcohol prohibition ever succeeded.
9. There are pros and cons to this problem. Legalising drugs might make is easier to become addicted. But probably wouldn't affect those already addicted. Legalising drugs would reduce the violent crime involved, which would be my major argument in favour. But would it bring more addicts on board? Long-term consideration is important on this issue. Another factor in favour would be regulation of the drugs to ensure purity. And, of course there would be a reduction of litigation costs and jail costs to the taxpayer. That is attractive in itself. And just to clarify this comment; I do not consider marijuana to be in this class of drugs. Marijuana should definitely be legalised, taxed and sold just as alcohol and cigarettes are now. It has been proven that marijuana is less damaging than alcohol. Not that I advocate marijuana use. I don't advocate tobacco or alcohol use either.
10. The direct cost of the War on Drugs is something like 40 or 50 billion dollars per year the federal government will spend 19 billion dollars this year state and local law enforcement will add another 10 billion we spend 10 or 20 billion dollars each year keeping drug users in prison. http://world.std.com/~swmcd/steven/rants/war.html Not all drugs are good, but no drug war is good. If left to their own devise, drug users and suppliers would be minimized by the lack of money involved. Users of marijuana can easily supply themselves with a few harmless plants in the yard. http://www.performanceimpressions.com/drugwar.html
11. Tons... not only on the money spent on law enforcement here... but also money we spend "helping" law enforcement in other countries... Plus hidden cost of corruption caused by the huge profits in the drug black market... not only in drug producing nations but in this country as well... also it would dry up funding for much of the terrorist activity through out the world. In addition, handled correctly, government could cover the cost of rehab and other medical treatment by by dedicating the "profits" from government sale of drugs to those ends. If a greedy government would sell drugs at a reasonable cost, the black market would largely cease to exist because of the lack of the profit incentive. One would have to make it perfectly clear that using drugs would be no excuse for *any* crime.. time served would not be reduced because of "impaired judgment" and in fact would be increased.
12. The Bush and many other money families in America would lose a lot of money if it was legalised. Since illegalizing it drives the prices right up on the street and gives them a justification to put all their competition in jail, it would be a real blow to them to spoil the racket. Especially now they have gone to all the trouble of reinstalling a puppet in Panama and removing the Taliban regime (who were destroying the Opium crops) from Afghanistan, to ensure the supply keeps flowing. Don't you know that the CIA, of which George Bush snr is the former head, means Cocaine Import Agency.