[Coach]

Originally Posted by IliketoPuck

This entire thread has weighed in on the impacts of marijuana, and utilized studies conducted from around the globe.

Choosing an arbitrary figure of 10 Million teenagers is not bogus in any way. If I was using that number as a representation of the Canadian population, then yes it would be inaccurate, but I wasn't, and clearly stated such.

So if you want a more accurate Canadian based estimate, here you go:

Per StatsCan 2011 census data:

Canadian population aged 10-24 = 6,285,940 Why are you including the ages 10-13. We all went to school Does anyone know people that started smoking this young? I don't, and I went to a school riddled with drugs. And why are you including people over 18, people not considered to be youths in any of the studies?

Assuming 15% of population is a pot head = 6,285,940 * .15 = 942,891 Source for percentage of population?

Aggregate increase of incidence rate of mental illness = .042 -.007 = .035

942,891 * .035 = 33,001 aggregate increase in incidence of mental illness

33,001 * $150,000 = ~$5Bn lifetime aggregate medical burden increase.

So, just to break even on the social cost, the marijuana industry conservatively needs to generate $5Bn of tax revenue. Over the entire life of it's availability? If you don't think it will crush that figure within 2 years of being available you are being deliberately dense.

Without considering the impact or costs on families, employers, etc. etc. etc.

The world is your oyster, pot heads. Have at it.

Can you stop with this? It's been said over and over again that people from every section of society use this product. It's been used for medicinal purposes and, yes, destructive purposes. The people who use it, and their motivations for wanting it legal, are not all the same.