If all taxes went to fund police in schools would you be for legalizing recreational marijuana federally?

2018-03-12T12:52:54-04:00

I did some math the other day using the $70 million dollars CO takes in from weed taxes. The rough average expense for hiring a new police officer is about 100k I went on the high side to stay conservative. That would come out to 700 LEOs hired in the first year. That number would go down every year. Eventually no additional police could be hired using just the tax money, but with the average salary of a police being roughly 55k/yr about 1200 police would be in a job because of the taxes. IN just so happens to have roughly 1200 public schools. Now the numbers of taxable weed sales and police salary would vary from state to state but it seems like a very easy solution and to be honest it could be one of the least controversial solutions. Trained guns in every school at no additional cost to people who chose not to partake in cannabis consumption.

Response by MAJ Bryan Zeski made Mar 12 at 2018 12:56 PM

2018-03-12T12:56:08-04:00

I am already for legalizing recreational MJ federally. Economically it makes sense. Heck, legalizing ALL drugs and then taxing and regulating them would be more than enough to pay for Universal Health Care - which would cover any medical issues arising from any potential increase in drug-related problems.

As for more cops, I don't think we really need any more - we really need to use the ones we have more wisely. We've slipped into an us v them mentality when it comes to policing, and that's the wrong answer. We need to get back to community-oriented policing where the police are a PART of the community they are protecting and serving. We need fewer cops worrying about whether you're doing 40 in a 30 and more who are walking the streets and talking to the people.

Response by SSgt Ray Stone made Mar 12 at 2018 1:01 PM

2018-03-12T13:01:13-04:00

Shiiid im already for legalization

Response by 1SG Dennis Hicks made Mar 12 at 2018 1:04 PM

2018-03-12T13:04:03-04:00

The real problem is that whenever a revenue source is created the money never goes for what it was intended, I.E. Lottery, Gas tax, etc etc etc. Politicians always find a away to steal the money.

Response by SPC Joseph Wojcik made Mar 12 at 2018 1:13 PM

2018-03-12T13:13:37-04:00

But aren't cops all "evil racists"?
I'd rather minimize taxes AND prohibitions, and instead leave it up to states on how to handle security in their indoctrination centers.

Response by LT Charles Baird made Mar 12 at 2018 1:16 PM

2018-03-12T13:16:59-04:00

Pot should already be legalized - just like Hemp should not be an issue - especially with all the uses for each of these plants - but then again if they were both legalized it would probably put the pharmaceutical companies out of business.

As for funding police in schools - leave that to the states and local municipalities - not the Federal

Response by Jordan Gaudard made Mar 12 at 2018 1:19 PM

2018-03-12T13:19:29-04:00

SPC David Willis Think there should be a few more options. I agree with whoever said we don't need more police, and I'm unsure if we really need to fund police in schools. When we had a plane crash into the twin towers airport security became a huge deal. Why can't we have that type of security on our public schools? With this type of income, you could do away with school systems all together, and have a laptop for every child, pay teachers to work from home, computer technicians to help out students at their house. Then lecture in small settings, have sports teams etc for social functions. That's off on a huge tangent, anyhow, I guess I would say I am against it.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 12 at 2018 1:22 PM

2018-03-12T13:22:14-04:00

Absolutely not, and never for the military. I have seen the effects of marijuana in Vietnam.

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana

Marijuana

Photo by NIDA What is marijuana?

Response by SPC David Willis made Mar 12 at 2018 1:23 PM

2018-03-12T13:23:02-04:00

I guess I should have said fund police or private security in school. Police seems to be getting the connotation they would be patrolling on the streets. I simply meant the money would go towards securing the schools. How they do that could be up to the states.

Response by SMSgt Thor Merich made Mar 12 at 2018 1:36 PM

2018-03-12T13:36:56-04:00

Bad idea, most people forget that marijuana used to be legal. As well as cocaine, heroin and other drugs. They became illegal when their negative impact on society became unbearable. I have no doubt that weed will become legal throughout the U.S. in the near future. And then it will revert back to being illegal in 20-30 years after doing much damage.

However, I do applaud your out of the box thinking to address out school security issue.

Response by SGT Matthew Sesar made Mar 12 at 2018 2:54 PM

2018-03-12T14:54:25-04:00

It’s all bullshit, we are having the conversations they want us to have. There is more than enough of our money to fund security for our schools. If anybody wants to argue that, I’m all ears.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 12 at 2018 3:24 PM

2018-03-12T15:24:09-04:00

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not "all read up" on pot so I can't agree to legalize it at this point. And I still don't think an armed policeman in every school would completely eliminate school shootings. Would it help? Probably some. But legalizing a drug to help "some" seems risky to me.

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made Mar 12 at 2018 3:24 PM

2018-03-12T15:24:26-04:00

Bring back the Assault Weapons Ban

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 12 at 2018 3:24 PM

2018-03-12T15:24:46-04:00

I find it interesting and curious that the same people who are for legalizing pot for recreational consumption are against tobacco and vaping in public spaces, saying that they are a health hazard.

Response by SGT Carl Blas made Mar 12 at 2018 5:28 PM

2018-03-12T17:28:52-04:00

In the 60's and 70's weed was the gateway to harder drugs on the street, that information came from the hard drug users that I spoke too, and there were many on the street at that time and place, murder was a common thing, like once a week or more attached to drug use.
In 1973 DMZ Korea, most smoked weed in the platoon, openly and not, hell even the Lt. smoked weed. MJ costed $2 legal size envelope, $5-5# sugar bag, $30 Pillow case, and $50 duffle bag, it was very cheap there, as well as hard liquor, $8 Chavez scotch, all others $2.
I've seen where on patrol some stupid higher then a kyte solder started shooting up the place because a rabbit ran across him while we layed on ambush, north of the fence. Everyone started shooting at anything, we even called in 105's for flares and HE, but the rabbit got away.
Later on, we all laughed because the North Koreans probably shit in their pants, and got out of NoMan's Land that night in a hurry. The ROK platoon on patrol that night later told us, "You F??ken GI's, you got the whole f??king line on alert, we all laughed and told them we were hunting for rabbits.
The weed use in the platoon then lead to the use of OJ's (MJ laced with Opium cigarettes) $20 for a pack of 20 cigarettes, 2 drags on one of those brought the platoon into LaLa land, in Technic Color, that numbed your brain. I could see why a lot of men didn't want to come back to the world, and get their heads straight.
Long story short, I just wanted to tell you the progression from weed to a harder drug, with living proof. We could of all got killed out there on ambush that night, just because of weed use, and maybe that rabbit saved all of our lives, and the North Korean's lives too.

Response by COL William Oseles made Mar 12 at 2018 8:07 PM

2018-03-12T20:07:30-04:00

Unfortunately tht would not happen, they would toke it off to other programs.

Response by LTJG Richard Bruce made Mar 12 at 2018 10:33 PM

2018-03-12T22:33:28-04:00

Marijuana shouldn't be legal. Any revenue from "medical MJ" is blood money.

Response by Cpl Jeff N. made Mar 13 at 2018 8:04 AM

2018-03-13T08:04:56-04:00

We have enough screwed up people in this country without encouraging more of them to scree themselves up. We need more sober, clear thinking people. More drug use will not help us get there.

Response by CW3 Kevin Storm made Mar 13 at 2018 7:51 PM

2018-03-13T19:51:42-04:00

Having lost a brother to a drug overdose I do not support any idea to legalize and drug. I have watched some unscrupulous Physicians use PTSD as an excuse to sell dope, to sell Opioids, and other hard drugs, no I do not, nor can I ever support such an idea.