Editorial: Marijuana and Tax Revenue

[Weedpipe]

The Daily News Tribune - A threshold was quietly crossed last week on Beacon Hill: Marijuana legalization was discussed with barely a giggle.

Thirty years after a trend toward liberalizing marijuana laws was reversed by Nixon's "war on drugs," we're seeing a shift in attitudes and laws. In California, a medical marijuana initiative approved by voters has changed the facts on the ground. Pot shops are everywhere, operating on the tissue of legality provided by medical professionals with the broadest possible interpretation of the ills cannabis may be presumed to treat. But there are no signs of great damage done by making the drug more openly available, and no sign of a serious movement to recriminalize it.

Instead, California is moving toward the next obvious step: legalizing, regulating and taxing cannabis. Two referendum questions are being proposed for the 2010 ballot.

The opponents of medical marijuana were right when they predicted it was a slippery slope to legalization. If they had just taken it off the drug schedule, let it be legally produced and sold only with a prescription, things might have been different. But Californians are now being forced to admit the people purchasing pot from licensed distributors aren't all that sick.

The alternative to the medical model of marijuana regulation is the alcohol model. That's what the Joint Committee on Revenue of the Massachusetts Legislature heard testimony on last Wednesday. House 2929, submitted at the request of a Northampton attorney, is modeled on the state's alcohol law. It wouldn't just legalize marijuana, it would provide for the regulation of its potency, set rules for its distribution and - of particular note to a Legislature struggling with enormous revenue shortfalls - heavily tax it.

No one is predicting this bill will make it to the floor for a vote any time soon. California will likely lead the way on this issue, and no state can effectively legalize a controlled substance until Congress changes federal law. But the Revenue Committee gave a respectful hearing to about 20 supporters and one opponent who testified on the bill. Neither the lawmakers nor the media tried to turn a serious topic into a joke. That itself is progress



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Source:The Daily News Tribune
Contact: Homepage - Waltham, MA - The Daily News Tribune
Copyright:2009 GateHouse Media, Inc.
Website:Editorial: Marijuana and tax revenue - Waltham, MA - The Daily News Tribune

 

[michaelkaer]

Now that is progress. Once you leave the ridicule stage, there is some sort of backlash, then there will be a sudden enlightenment where everyone will say it was all so obvious in hindsight. Yeh progress.

 

[Altanon]

Yeah, it's all good until you get to this:

Section 9. The authority shall impose and collect an excise upon sales at retail of cannabis. The rate of said excise is hereby established as follows:

Class C One hundred fifty dollar per ounce

Class B Two hundred dollars per ounce.

Class A Two hundred fifty dollars per ounce.

Subject to approval by the general court, such excise shall be adjusted by the authority from time to time as necessary to maximize the revenue derived therefrom, and to minimize the incentive for the sale of cannabis not in accordance with the provisions of this act.

Man! How about those fuçking tax rates? $250.00 TAX on an ounce of Primo? That's just insane! Only The Government could Legalize something and create a more lucrative Black Market opportunity!

where's the incentive to bother to give the State their cut? Why not just continue business as usual, and keep the WHOLE $420.00 an ounce? Another $250.00 is a pretty tempting nugget.

Not only that, but a BIG incentive to legalize anything (Marijuana, or ultimately the other prohibited substances) is to eliminate the artificially created exorbitant prices. THIS is what would lead to reduced crime.

Besides, do We really want to give The Government THAT much more money? That would be Four Thousand Dollars on every pound of what would amount to tonnes every year! Maybe if The Government would eliminate some other taxes, but that's not how it works; once They have their hand in your pocket - it stays there.

 

[michaelkaer]

Everyone knows they put the tax so high to be able to get the bill passed. I can get an oz of prime medicine for less than $200 Canadian dollars through the compassion clubs up here in Canada. If this was a regular crop a pound would cost the same as a few pounds of potatoes. If it does pass you will see an adjustment of that tax if they want any revenue to flow.

 

[Tiger Balm]

Class C One hundred fifty dollar per ounce

Class B Two hundred dollars per ounce.

Class A Two hundred fifty dollars per ounce.

Altanon - until you commented, i mistakenly read that as the SALE prices! The TAX? Somebody's dreaming.

 

[Jim Finnel]

with taxes like that i'd have no choice but to remain a criminal

Re-Legalize!

 

[Tiger Balm]

Honestly!

 

[medicaluser]

this is insanity this tax as large as they propose .this will not help a already stuggling sick person .where is the compassion for the med user guess it went out the door with the chance to waste a few more tax dollars.the tax is going to double the price of legal pot rediculous .grow your own if you can forget buying it ,its better in the long run to stay free i will not hook my cart to a goverment horse.