Our Voice

The Colonnade staff is all for state government doing anything it can to boost the economy – within reason – and it seems California may soon have a new model Georgia could follow. It’s moving toward becoming more financially savvy and green at the same time. It’d be an even better example if it would alleviate some current budget constraints.

This November, California may become the first state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Currently, California residents are allowed to use pot for medicinal purposes, but it is still considered illegal under federal law. If passed, the new law would allow 21-year-old residents of California to posses up to one ounce of marijuana as well as have the right to grow the plant in individual gardens that measure up to 25-square feet. If the new law is approved, California could reduce public safety costs and possibly save $200 million a year, while simultaneously allowing local governments to produce tax revenue.

California is not the only state in pursuit of changing current laws about the use of marijuana to improve the current economical downfall. A proposal by Washington state to legalize the sale and use of pot recently was defeated in the state legislature. However, Washington lawmakers have expanded the number of medical professionals who are permitted to prescribe marijuana intended for medicinal purposes.

Recent state budget cuts are a serious issue for Georgia’s public colleges and universities. A recent budget plan released by GCSU President Dorothy Leland could cut $5,356,378 from the school’s budget. Such a loss could also result in faculty positions being reduced and multiple degree options being eliminated.

Georgia should do what other states are doing and start considering the different possibilities to help the struggling economy, such as legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. If a law that made marijuana legal was passed in Georgia, it would grant local governments the ability to permit and tax the drug. If the funds were allowed to be used for educational institutions, tax revenue could help remove the risk of GCSU and other schools losing faculty members and help eliminate the threat of students not being offered certain degrees. When it comes to the ethics of marijuana being legalized versus students having more degree options from a better-equipped faculty, education comes out on top.

Please send responses to ColonnadeLetters@gcsu.edu.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 2 2010. Filed under Our Voice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry