People who are opposed to the legalization of drugs should consider the following: cocaine is having a better year than the stock market.This fun fact courtesy of WallStreetFighter paints a very grim picture of the War on Drugs. Addicts are paying more for less-pure Bolivian marching powder. From January through June, the average price per gram of domestic cocaine purchases rose 24% from $95.89 to $118.70, while purity fell. Retail (involving 10 grams or more) prices rose 15% while "mid-level" wholesale prices surged 33% and wholesale (1 kilogram or more) prices jumped 11%.
Cocaine is a helluva drug -- just ask any celebrity. Heck, read any story on TMZ.com about Britney Spears and you'll understand. Supplies are down and demand is steady. That's the type of stable cash-flow business that usually attracts private equity, no?
Now consider that the Dow Jones industrial average rose 10.8% this year. The S&P 500 Index is up 7.98% while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index has surged more than 14% Cocaine has had a better year than many blue-chip stocks including General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) (up 10%), News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) (up 5.5%) and Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG) (up 9.7%). Google Inc.'s (NASDAQ: GOOG) 35% does beat cocaine but not by much.
Unlike most products, cocaine really does sell itself as does pornography. Lots of people -- mostly really bad people -- are getting rich off drugs. Why shouldn't the federal government? Researcher Jon Gettman estimates that the government loses $31.1 billion in taxes because of the prohibition against marijuana, according to the Marijuana Policy Project. You can bet that the figures would be similar for cocaine.
Imagine how much money Uncle Sam could reap if he taxed cocaine or marijuana? What does the War on Drugs cost? Hundreds of millions? That money could be used to fund a real war on drugs -- treating addicts whose lives have been destroyed.
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Reader Comments (Page 9 of 9)
10-28-2007 @ 12:52PM
cart said...
Why not invest in THE SEED. I heard if u nurture it, you will reap many rewards EVERLASTING!!!!!. The seed of HUMANITY, MANKIND, YOUR KID. Free education (water) & care (love) will only bare FRUIT.
10-29-2007 @ 10:19AM
JIOR said...
I think the best way to deal with this situation, is too firstable DON'T PUNISHED THE PEOPLE WHO SALE DRUGS...PUNISHED THE PEOPLE WHO USE IT...you will be surprised...we have to built alot of jails in America. I would say this " American people love drugs over 90% of the American people in any way on time had use drugs...
I am not saying that I am in the DRUG LORD side...
punishing both would changes things...!
Look right now at the Real Estate market in USA....NO BUYERS the price for homes are DOWN, Realtors are going OUT of the business
working in other trades. Samething will happen
with drugs.
IF PEOPLE DON'T USE DRUGS...will be NO BUYERS / the SELLERS... DRUG DEALERS then WILL GO OUT OF BUSINESS OR GO SOMEWHERE ELSE...perhaps another countries.
This country is going in the wrong direction and every day is worse... look now METH is destroying and killing more people now than ever before and is made in America, but what we concentrate in another countries problems and we don't look at our problems right here in our back yards.
Pasco County, Florida capital of METH in america.
Is like Bolivia, Peru or perhaps Colombia in south America...you don't see as many drug addicts in South America as you see in USA.
Look America before we know will see...
Cocaine made in China.
Supply vs Demand.
Jior !
10-29-2007 @ 11:49AM
bqueen9bee said...
As I said last week, I have known or have observed that the businesses in my community have huge support from the young drug dealers who sell crack and cocaine. The average working person in my community does not have money to eat out continuously, buy gold jewelry continuously or spend money on a lot of the consumerable items that I see being sold. The underground economy supports the overground economy and this is the way it is. This fact of life has been going on in urban communities around the country for decades and WallStreetFighter is just figuring this out? The devastation that occurs due to the selling and use of cocaine is still another side of the angle. Unfortunately, people equate freedom with choices that make them a slave. Is legalizing drugs the answer? I doubt it, but the crimialization of drugs is taking its toll. Perhaps getting at the root cause of why people use drugs from the beginning would help bring about viable solutions. What is it about American society that breeds drug abuse? is the question!
11-05-2007 @ 9:33AM
Elliot said...
People face the reality, if cocaine, or any other illegal drugs become legal, Are you know how many people lost their jobs, especially those who work in the law enforcements...?
11-21-2007 @ 8:37AM
Diana said...
If only our government would do something about
Cocaine.........it ruins so many families & self
inflicted to all those who use it & cannot get off.
It is so potent & it is available everywhere. We
all need to write our Congressman NOW. AYC
11-21-2007 @ 1:48AM
Diana said...
url
12-09-2007 @ 2:51PM
Will said...
What is Going On in this country