opinion

Legal marijuana could be the answer Iowa's budget shortfall

Colorado generated more than $170 million in sales tax revenue from cannabis-marijuana. Iowa has a budget shortfall of more than $100 million.

About $50 million of Colorado’s sales tax revenue goes to education. Iowa has no money for education and is considering a variety of budget cuts to deal with the Republican economic disaster.

Colorado has generated more than $3 billion in economic development related to the legalization of cannabis-marijuana. Iowa continues to have shrinking economic activity in its smaller towns and family-owned farms.

Iowa continues to cling to hysterical myths of prohibition [Legal pot fuels black market, July 31]. Prohibition’s ignorance guarantees police state terrorism, as well as gang violence and gang economic bonanza.

As Colorado has proven, legalization not only pulls the rug out from police excesses, legalization also pulls the rug out from gang economy, culture and violence.

— John MacQueen, West Des Moines