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The fiasco christened the ‘War on Drugs’ is over, hopefully, as Colarado became the second US state to legalise recreational marijuana after Washington and also the first one to legally sell it. Shops in Washington won’t be opening any time soon, so Colarado will be seen as the testing ground to see where legalising marijuana takes us. Just like Prohibition in the United States gave birth to Italian mafia which would go on to expand into every illegal activity feasible, the official war on drugs led to thousands of innocents being jailed not to mention a huge tax burden. It’s believed that legalising marijuana and ending the war on drugs all over the US would save USD 41 billion per year (law enforcement costs) and add an additional $46.7 billion in tax revenue per year (rates based on comparable rates for tobacco and alcohol).
How Colarado will shape the future of the war on drugs?
While long lines at retailers were found, there are two schools of thought about how this could pan out. Some are worried that this will lead to a state of debauchery, something akin to Gin Craze in the first half of the 18th Century in England when suddenly thanks to greater economic liberty and cheap gin production people started drinking a lot of gin instead of French brandy. This caused a virtual epidemic of extreme drunkenness and there are some worries that there might be a similar public health problem. Others hope that Colarado’s move sets a nationwide precedent and compels other states to end the silly war on drugs.
The situation in India
Cannabis at least in its desi prepared form – bhang is not only legal in India but widely consumed. It’s not even considered a drug but a traditional Ayurvedic medicine and no Holi is complete without a drink of thandai. It’s interesting to note that cannabis cultivation is government regulated and selling bhang is illegal without a government permit. Criminalising bhang is unthinkable and some of heaviest consumers are religious Hindu cities like Mathura. Could we have a similar situation like unaltered cannabis? Like sin taxes on alcohol and cigarettes, cannabis taxation would provide quite a tidy sum to the government. And about the alleged health effects, exactly how is it more harmful than legal recreational alcohol or tobacco which are known to cause liver damage, heart disease and lung cancer.
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