Canada's economy 'dead in the water,' headed toward recession

If you don't like the dismissive replies to the legalize marijuana position, you probably shouldn't attempt to make your point by blatantly lying. Legalizing marijuana will have very little impact on the economy. Illegal sales already provide (illegal) employment and wealth generation (by criminals). It would just generally shift that portion of the economy from criminals/illegal income to corporations/legal income, allowing taxation. But the amount of taxes it would raise in comparison to the national budget is rather minimal. And you have to add in that legalizing marijuana will also be offset somewhat by loses in employment in the law enforcement, judicial, and prison sectors.

So, basically, we raise a small amount of taxes (in comparison to total government revenues), realize savings in law enforcement/judicial/prison, likely come out even or possibly behind between the job gains from sales of marijuana and losses from law enforcement/judicial/prison, and basically make a very tiny blip on what is our entire economy.

Even the idea of increased tourism is small now. Most Americans from the west, midwest, or south wanting to legally smoke marijuana are more likely to go to Colorado or Washington given most Americans have an aversion to leaving America. And it is likely it will be legal elsewhere in the states relatively soon (within 10 years). So even the tourism aspect is not what it would have been 10 years ago.

Is legalizing marijuana the right thing? Of course. But your upvoted comments in this thread will never make it happen because you're asserting arguments that high school students could refute. Perhaps instead of hyperbolic statements that are extreme that they're just blatant lies, you should stick to honesty when advocating legalization because the honest truth supports it.

/r/canada Thread Parent Link - cbc.ca