Economic benefits from legalizing marijuana will draw interest
… With state taxes at 35 percent and the ability for cities to add their own sales tax, the legalization and taxation of recreational marijuana in Colorado will bring in about $70 million in revenue this year, according to the Colorado Department of Revenue-division of taxation. The first $40 million in income will be spent on education and schools, while the remaining will be spent on marijuana regulation… Jeffrey Miron from Harvard University decided to figure out the law enforcement savings from the legalization of marijuana and concluded that the savings would be about $8.7 billion nationwide, an MSN.com article published in 2012 reported. Miron also believes the nearly 750,000 marijuana-related arrests could be significantly reduced to nearly zero.
~ By Travis Eubanks, Daily Nebraskan.

Thousands Not Arrested for Marijuana, Millions of Dollars Saved.
Nationally we average over 750,000 marijuana arrests each year…  Police make far more arrests for marijuana possession each year than for all violent crimes combined. Colorado has removed itself from this immense waste of resources….  The voters of Colorado did the right thing last year. They helped lead the nation to a new way to control marijuana, focus scarce law enforcement resources and increase fairness in the criminal justice system … We mark this one-year anniversary of hard-won freedoms and declare that Colorado has already won.
~ By Art Way. Colorado Manager, Drug Policy Alliance. Huffingtonpost.com

Some of the Other Opinions:
According to a recent study, fatal car crashes involving pot use have tripled in the U.S. … marijuana was the main drug involved in the increase. It contributed to 12 percent of fatal crashes, compared to only 4 percent in 1999.
~ Study: Fatal Car Crashes Involving Marijuana Have Tripled

… those on the drink-drive limit of 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, reaction times were reduced by 13%. For those who had used cannabis it was 21%.
~ Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), UK

– About nine percent of [cannabis] users will become dependent, compared with 32 percent for nicotine and 15 percent for alcohol. Withdrawal may trigger insomnia and depression.
– Chronic bronchitis can develop, as cannabis smoke contains many of the same carcinogens as tobacco smoke. Heavy users are at higher risk of problems with verbal learning, memory, and attention. Use is also linked to poor educational attainment, but the experts say that the cause and effect of this relationship is unclear. It may be caused by pre-existing risk factors as well as cannabis use.
– Because cannabis can slow reaction time and coordination, it brings an increased risk of road accidents. Its use in pregnancy could reduce birthweight, but does not seem to cause birth defects. Cannabis users are also more likely to go on to use other illicit drugs, including heroin and cocaine.
– The potential link to schizophrenia causes widespread concern. Studies suggest the risk is more than doubled for people who have tried cannabis by age 18. An analysis published in the Lancet in 2007 found a 40 percent increase in risk of “psychotic symptoms or disorders” in people who had used cannabis, with the highest risk among regular users, particularly those with a vulnerability to psychosis. For depression and suicide attempts, the evidence is less clear.
– The University of Queensland experts conclude that, “The most probable adverse effects [of cannabis] include a dependence syndrome, increased risk of motor vehicle crashes, impaired respiratory function, cardiovascular disease, and adverse effects of regular use on adolescent psychosocial development and mental health.”
~ Published in the ‘Lancet‘, the report focuses on nonmedical use……