AN UNTAPPED WINDFALL

OK, let me start off by saying I do NOT use drugs and do not advocate for drug use. I DO however recognize that the "War on Drugs", which our government is supposed to have been fighting for 40 years, is a failure. Billions and Billions of dollars have been wasted on stopping the flow of drugs into the US while the drug lords and cartels get richer and richer and the violence gets worse.

Having said that, I propose a partial solution to the problem. First, the federal government should pass national legislation providing FREE medical marijuana nationwide for any person who's doctor prescribes it. The government should set up THREE "Processing Centers". One for the East Coast, one for the Mid-West, and one for the West Coast. Then, all marijuana confiscated by ANY law enforcement agency is sent to these processing centers where it is graded with the highest quality marijuana going to special co- ops licensed to dispense medical marijuana. The co-ops are paid a fee by the government to run the programs. The money for the programs would come from the remaining confiscated marijuana.

The marijuana not graded high enough for medical purposes would be sold to the general population. A person would have to purchase a national permit to possess small a small amount of "personal use marijuana" and pay a yearly licensing fee of $100.00. This money would go to the state in which the license is sold. The marijuana sold would be taxable at approximately 15%, with the tax going into the general fund, and the balance of the money being shared by the state in which it is sold and the federal government. The money from the SALE of marijuana would then go towards interdicting more powerful drugs and DRUG EDUCATION AND PREVENTION PROGRAMS.

Education programs would begin in Head Start and Pre-School and continue through 8TH grade. Additional monies would be used to fund general education programs for each state. The amount of money would be based upon how well the state is doing in educating its students compared to national standards.

The only way to reduce the power of the cartels and drug lords is to make it too expensive to continue shipping drugs to the US.

All Opium and Opium based drugs should be confiscated, sent to the processing centers and made into USEFUL medical drugs and provided to hospitals at no cost and provide to patients at no cost. Of course, the pharmaceutical companies would raise hell over this as it would cut into their ungodly profits, but the government must stand up and provide for the people, not big business. And yes, I am a Conservative Republican saying this.

And That's What Average Joe Thinks.