Could Marijuana Save the 12th Grade in Utah?

Utah’s lawmakers are getting a little desperate in their search to alleviate the state’s $700 million budget shortfall. One in particular, state Sen. Chris Buttars, is now proposing that Utah cut costs by eliminating the 12^th grade, or at least giving students the option of skipping their senior year of high school.

Well, I have a better idea for how Utah could bring in new revenue and keep kids in the classroom at the same time.

If Utah really wants to rake in the big bucks, the state should tax and regulate marijuana, the nation’s largest cash crop. Doing so would produce untold millions in new tax revenue and save millions more in reduced law enforcement costs. Marijuana is already pervasive in our society, and right now the only people making a profit from it are criminal drug dealers.

Sure, the idea might seem extreme for some in Utah, but is it any more crazy than sacrificing the education of the state’s young people?