(We return to our ongoing coverage of this most unnecessary of
debates to find True On Average still thumbing through the pizza menu.
The Business Bro is tapping his foot impatiently.)
True On Average (TOA): I can't find one...
The Business Bro (BB): One what?
TOA: A vegetarian pizza worth ordering.
BB: What's the point of that?
TOA: Just thinking about what we talked about earlier.
BB: Well, I didn't say order a string bean pizza, I just said you should be more consistent.
TOA: Give me another minute, here...
BB: We don't have a ton of time. Still got one more ballot question. What do we have, by the way?
TOA: Last up- weed!
BB: Oh, good.
TOA: What?
BB: This is a pure admin dump.
TOA: Admin dump?
BB: Admin dump.
TOA: I don't see it.
BB: What page are you on?
TOA: Page 12.
BB: Go to page 24.
TOA: Wow...its still going on about this law.
BB: You'd have to be high to consider reading all of it.
TOA: Did you read it?
BB: No.
TOA: I'm not reading this.
BB: Well, summarize it, will ya?
TOA: It makes weed legal.
BB: Oh, thanks.
TOA: Well, you gotta be twenty-one. Looks kind of like how alcohol works.
BB: At least something around here is working.
TOA: Huh?
BB: Did someone at the state house get around to crunching the numbers on this one?
TOA: There is a suggestion that revenue might not cover the full social cost.
BB: That's interesting. Realistic, for once, sounds like.
TOA:
The state sponsored opinions are kind of interesting. On the yes side,
an argument made is that the police can shift attention to more
important work.
BB: That makes some sense. Marijuana can't be all that bad if the state is considering legalizing it.
TOA: And other states have already done so. Countries, too.
BB: Right. Colorado, Washington, and so on.
TOA: The no side mentions that communities in Colorado are trying to get out, though.
BB: Get out of this law?
TOA: Sounds like it.
BB: I did not know that.
TOA: Yeah, it doesn't say why, though, just points out that they are getting out.
BB: Interesting. I wonder why that is.
TOA: It says communities, not the state. Maybe its just certain ones.
BB: Who knows?
TOA:
Well, someone does, obviously, but its not anywhere here in the
thirteen pages. I am not exactly sure where I am with this one. It is a
little too straightforward.
BB: How's that?
TOA:
Part of the problem is that both sides are very reasonable. The
arguments for and against make a lot of sense. That has not always been
the case with these questions.
BB: So since both sides have a good argument, they kind of cancel each other out?
TOA: Basically.
BB: That's stupid logic. This isn't a tug-of-war logic puzzle.
TOA: I see. What are your thoughts?
BB:
My two cents? People are getting their hands on this stuff now. The
police aren't going to do much about it when other drug-related issues
alone are more important for them to handle.
TOA: Well, saying the police can't enforce all the laws is a lazy way to pick which ones to get rid of.
BB:
That's right, but there is also the realistic element here that if a
juggler has too many balls, something is going to drop. Better to pick
the least valuable ball in that case and lower it gently than to just
wait around until something shatters.
TOA: So you think this legalization serves that analogy in a way if you concede that marijuana is a ball worth dropping?
BB: More like least damaging, but yes, to an extent.
TOA: I don't like it.
BB: You are free to move to the first utopia you can find.
TOA: Suddenly in favor of free movement, are we?
BB: Oh, settle down. Around here, there is some cost-benefit stuff to consider.
TOA: Cost-benefit? Why bother legalizing what everyone called 'the gateway drug' while we were growing up?
BB: Who cares what its called? One way or the other, people are accessing it now.
TOA:
Probably the best argument I can think of for legalizing it, in a way,
is that a user's attitudes toward other illegal drugs might change.
BB: Attitude towards illegal drugs?
TOA:
Sure. Right now, to get access to this drug, you have to work through
some underground channel. So you get used to doing it. No one seems to
get in very much trouble for simply buying this. I wonder if,
eventually, someone used to buying marijuana in this way builds up a
tolerance toward risk-taking or buying illegal drugs. This might not
work the same way for a high school kid getting alcohol because the
criminal aspect goes away after a couple more birthdays. It might work
out this way for all those casual potheads, too.
BB: That's interesting, no doubt about it, but also the most hypothetical thing said so far.
TOA:
Yeah, but in this case it might count as solid ground from which to
make a voting decision, no? It's really just a hypothetical question
when you think of it. A hypothetical question deserves a hypothetical
answer.
BB: Same difference. Can we make a decision? I'm getting hungry.
TOA: I thought you ordered a pizza?
BB: No. I thought you ordered it?
TOA: Oh boy.
BB: We'll need to get better at this if #4 passes.
TOA: If number #4 passes, whoever wants to open that casino should just open a Pizza Hut instead.
BB: They'll think different if eggs cost ten bucks a dozen.
TOA: I'm leaning against, I think.
BB: Really?
TOA: Yeah, I just think its relevant that its not unanimously considered a success in Colorado. We need more information.
BB:
Interesting. I would have thought you'd vote in favor, for sure. All
those pointless criminal records created for petty marijuana offenses
goes against your interpretation of the freedom principle.
TOA: So you are for it?
BB:
Yeah, I think the framework is in place for the state to regulate this
appropriately and reduce the burden on the front lines in police
departments statewide. The tax revenue and better control of the product
should benefit citizens and communities that are currently only bearing
the costs of marijuana use.
TOA: So a tie...
BB: So it is.
TOA: Well, now what?
BB: Let's get that pizza. Maybe we are just too hungry to agree.
TOA: That makes no sense but I think it is an idea worth trying, just in case.
BB: OK, hold on.
TOA: What are you thinking?
BB: Let me see the menu again.
(True On Average hands the menu over. The Business Bro scans the options. Here we go again...
We'll
be back with our last bit of coverage on Friday. Hopefully, a
conclusion of some kind is reached. Until then, thanks for reading.)
