THE WAR ON A PLANT

Historians of the future will doubtless marvel that a great and
powerful republic, founded in part on "liberty and the pursuit of
happiness" but now suffering from difficult economic times would
waste billions of dollars every year in a futile war against a humble plant.

That plant, of course, is hemp -- source of oil, fiber and a mild
psychoactive drug. It's so mild that in all of history, no one has
ever died from a marijuana overdose.

And those who used it in their youth, like the three most recent
American presidents (Clinton claimed he "didn't inhale," Bush was
"young and foolish" in his jejune days, and Obama confessed that "pot
had helped" during his youth), somehow managed to go on to reasonably
productive lives.

So why is the stuff still illegal?

For one thing, there's an immense federal bureaucracy, the Drug
Enforcement Administration, which naturally seeks to stay in
business. As long as pot is illegal, the DEA has plenty of work. And
when the need arises for a headline to show that the DEA is on the
ball, its agents can always drive to some home that uses too much
electricity, shoot the dogs, kick in the door, and announce that
American youth are protected because it just seized plants with an
estimated street value of $4.2 gazillion.

For another, there's our pharmaceutical industry, a major source of
campaign contributions. The pill-makers buy candidates so they can
protect their revenue streams.

Now, it might be too much to expect the federal government to move
sensibly here. There are, after all, two wars and a crumbling economy
to contend with. But Colorado could help itself by legalizing the
cultivation, sale and use of marijuana with a reasonable excise tax
of $25 an ounce.

It would save money in several ways, like lower law-enforcement
costs, as well as a reduction in the prison population. Further, the
corruption and violence associated with black markets should diminish.

More money would circulate in our state, as Colorado hemp farmers
received money now going to Mexican drug cartels. Profitable farms
mean that open space gets preserved through market mechanisms, rather
than taxes and zoning. Further, it might enhance tourism, at least
until other states catch on.

One possible snag is the federal government. No matter how sensible
we make our state laws, there would still be draconian and moronic
federal laws enforced by federal agents.

So initially, the marijuana excise tax proceeds should go to our
state attorney general's office, with instructions that the money be
used to defend all Coloradans charged with marijuana violations that
are crimes under federal law but not under our enlightened state law.

In other words, every "probable cause" for a search warrant would be
vigorously contested. The chain of evidence would come under intense
scrutiny. The credibility of informants and agents would be subject
to brutal cross-examination.

Every such trial -- our tenacious defense teams would never
plea-bargain -- would be a grinding ordeal for the U.S. Attorney's
office. The federal Department of Justice would soon move its
prosecutorial resources away from pot and toward real crimes that
people care about.

The downside? Maybe a few more lazy potheads munching junk food. But
in today's economy, there aren't jobs for them anyway, so where's the
harm to society?

Contrast that with the benefits of reduced spending on cops and
prisons, a boost to Colorado agriculture, and increased revenue for
our hard-pressed state government, if we'd just give up on this silly
war against a plant.