A Simple Solution to Government Financial Woes

Lose the War on Drugs and gain millions (even, billions?) of dollars for schools, for the economy, for healthcare, and so on, the list goes on.

Decriminalization will have serious positive effects on the local economy across Cayman as even small-scale local farmers could grow it for local consumption. Furthermore, the government can come in and tax the hell out of it and garner all sorts of revenue for government programs and schools and civil servants will not have to endure pay cuts and potential job losses. Marijuana’s legalization would subsequently open up quite a few beds in Northward prison as well as free up valuable court time and costs.

The current state of affairs regarding marijuana on this island is unreasonable and idiotic at best.

 

I thought we were a capitalist country.

 

While touting the greatness of Free Trade, we make illegal a weed crop and possible huge source of income on unjustifiable moral grounds.

 

Where is our morality when we buy items made in sweatshops, which in this day is just about everything we buy in this country? The market is amoral; morality has no place in the marketplace.

 

To the tourism dept and business owners, particularly in the food industry, think of the extra revenue generated by tourists staying on island longer, and the increase in revenue from cruise ship visitors. If the cruise ship industry is comfortable stopping in Jamaica, then why not in Cayman, a safer environment.

 

To the parents and teachers who worry that their children and students will more tempted to fall into drug use due to decriminalization. Legislation mirroring Holland’s strict legal stance on the issue will ensure that only government authorized “coffee shops” can sell to over 18’s. It will also stop drug dealers from loitering around our communities and schools. In most countries, marijuana use is higher among adolescents where there are stricter penalties and public denial about the issue as is the case here in Cayman.

 

The 1999 European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Drugs,specifically developed to provide data on European drug usecomparable with that obtained by the Monitoring the Future surveys,revealed that the proportionofadolescents inThe Netherlandswho reported ever having used marijuana (28%) was substantiallylower than that of 10th graders in the United States (41%).

 

I can go on spouting facts about the benefits of this issue but let me conclude by appealing to Cayman’s greed and say, fight for the legalization of marijuana!

 

Its government money paying for Cayman’s War on Drugs and everything it entails.
Its government money, which is still never enough to create and maintain decent schools.

Do something about it.