Hello everybody.

Here is an article by Steve Collett, a southern California Libertarian activist.

A growing consensus is forming among economists and criminologists that
drug prohibition, rather than drug use itself, is a leading cause of
violence and property crime, resulting in urban decay and losses to real
estate values.

Following are thirteen ways that various forms of drug legalization could
improve retail, housing, and agricultural real estate values:
 1.Legalization would reduce violence committed to resolve disputes by
participants in black markets created by prohibition. That violence reduces
real estate values in areas where prohibited drug trafficking occurs.
 2.Property crime would decrease by drug users who commit such crimes to
support purchases of drugs at prices inflated by prohibition.
 3.Scarce law enforcement resources, when no longer diverted to drug
prohibition activities, would be more capable of preventing violence and
other crimes which reduce property values.
 4.Real estate and business owners could benefit from regulated rather than
prohibited trade, resulting in increased rentals and income generated from
additional legal commerce;
 5.Landlords would no longer face asset forfeiture proceedings from
prohibited tenant activities, as is the case with current federal
forfeiture threats regarding marijuana dispensary tenants;
 6.Legalization would reduce the number of drug houses, meth labs, asset
forfeitures and resulting negative consequences to home and surrounding
property values;
 7.Taxes to pay for costs of prohibition reduce purchasing power for retail
real estate customers, who have less to spend due to higher taxes and have
less purchasing power when the government inflates the value of money with
deficits;
 8.Enormous government spending fueled by drug prohibition policies wastes
limited government resources, and diverts funds which could otherwise be
spent on infrastructure, environment, and other programs which could
improve overall property values;
 9.Legalization would reduce prison populations. Someone in prison or with
no job due to a criminal record cant buy a retailers products. They cant
purchase a home or pay rent. They cant pay child support to cover the rent
for children;
 10.Legalization of marijuana, Californias largest cash crop, could
generate enormous revenues for Californias agriculture industry, thereby
increasing land values;
 11.Legalization of hemp as an agricultural product could further boost
agricultural land values. Hemp is a versatile, durable plant product that
grows like a weed and has multiple commercial uses. It grows particularly
well in many areas not otherwise suitable for agriculture;
 12.Legalization would result in an end to crop eradication activities,
which damage property and reduce the value of crop eradicated real estate;
 13.Real estate values would improve in segments of Mexico and other areas
which have suffered a mass exodus as a result of violence caused by drug
prohibition policies.

Drug legalization efforts offer a number of economic opportunities,
including increased trade, reduced federal, state and local government law
enforcement, prosecution and incarceration costs, more government revenue
and improved retail, business, residential and agricultural real estate
values.  It also offers a world with fewer prisoners, better health care,
less discrimination and more humane treatment for the victims of drug
addiction and abuse.


Matt

... I am not afraid of al Qaeda, I am afraid of al Cracker.” -Chris Rock
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