cannabisnews.com: Some Aren't Stoked About New Tax Some Aren't Stoked About New Tax Posted by CN Staff on April 07, 2007 at 06:30:19 PT By Judy Lin, Bee Capitol Bureau Source: Sacramento Bee California -- When it comes to the sale of medical marijuana, California is seeing green.For the first time since voters passed Proposition 215 more than a decade ago, state tax assessors are reaching out to the state's estimated 150 to 200 medical marijuana retailers to get them to pay their state and local sales taxes. In February, the state Board of Equalization sent out a special notice to sellers of medical marijuana, urging them to obtain a seller's permit like any other retailer. "If you sell medical marijuana, your sales in California are generally subject to tax and you are required to hold a seller's permit," according to the notice.It goes on to warn sellers that "if you do not obtain a seller's permit or fail to report and pay the taxes due, you will be subject to interest and penalty charges."Proponents of the move say the outreach effort could help legitimize medical marijuana stores by giving them the same rights and responsibilities as any other retailer. Yet it's causing a lot of consternation among cannabis club owners and medical marijuana advocates.While some cannabis club owners want to be "good neighbors" and pay the sales tax, others prefer to stay underground for fear that any tax information they report will be used against them by federal drug enforcement officials."It's frustrating," said Chris Moscone, an attorney representing the Hemp Center, a San Francisco dispensary currently negotiating with state tax collectors on paying back taxes. "There are basically two camps: Those that want to be treated like legitimate businesses, and the other side, where they're still rebels and don't want to be taxed." Snipped:Complete Article: http://tinyurl.com/37k5c5Source: Sacramento Bee (CA)Author: Judy Lin, Bee Capitol BureauPublished: Saturday, April 7, 2007 - Page A4Copyright: 2007 The Sacramento BeeContact: opinion sacbee.comWebsite: http://www.sacbee.com/ CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #21 posted by kroeme on April 09, 2007 at 05:55:53 PT: Taxed Eric, the LACRC did not try to be taxed. We did not consider what we did as sales. Under the rules for a nonprofit membership-owned cooperative, there were not sales, and members even received a share of any profits at the end of the year. [ Post Comment ] Comment #20 posted by FoM on April 08, 2007 at 06:43:17 PT Wayne I think the man is so funny. He is so good. [ Post Comment ] Comment #19 posted by Wayne on April 08, 2007 at 06:32:26 PT Lewis Black I remember the first time I watched one of his specials, I don't remember exactly what he said, but he said something that had me cracking up for about 10 minutes straight. I think that was the last time I cried from laughing. He is a genuinely funny fellow. [ Post Comment ] Comment #18 posted by FoM on April 08, 2007 at 06:18:54 PT EJ about Tax The fact that tax is being mentioned means that Cannabis is trying to be made more main stream I think. [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by E_Johnson on April 07, 2007 at 21:44:53 PT But this really forces the issue, you see So what's Bush going to do about this? Prosecute the state government for money laundering? This is like Arnold waving a big middle finger to Bush. [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by FoM on April 07, 2007 at 20:58:07 PT Lewis Black He is really funny. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by Hope on April 07, 2007 at 20:56:12 PT John Tyler comment 14 You are right. And I like the idea of "If medical marijuana retailers are going to be paying taxes then they will have to get guarantees that they, their business and their patrons will be absolutely protected by the state from the Feds, otherwise no deal."Seems very reasonable to me. [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by John Tyler on April 07, 2007 at 20:25:06 PT money and politics If medical marijuana retailers are going to be paying taxes then they will have to get guarantees that they, their business and their patrons will be absolutely protected by the state from the Feds, otherwise no deal. This means state legislators and the Congressmen and Senators will have to work on this issue to keep the Feds off of their backs. You see when you get down to it, it is money and politics. [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by Dankhank on April 07, 2007 at 19:53:35 PT Lewis is one funny fellow ...I agree with most of what he says ... [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by Hope on April 07, 2007 at 19:47:16 PT Lewis Black It's a regular ordeal now to just get the TV on. Have to turn on four or five things and check menus and other really bothersome stuff. Once upon a time...you could just turn the TV or the radio on and you had it. Now the satellite. And the speakers and mute this or change that. The TV by itself is "demanding" with tons of menus...thinks it's a computer...maybe it is. And most of the labels on all the buttons is tiny black on black.:0(I don't even want to watch it or hear it anymore after, or if, I get it all up and going. [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by Hope on April 07, 2007 at 19:41:28 PT and some can't be here because they have to work tomorrow. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by Hope on April 07, 2007 at 19:40:32 PT " nice holiday weekend" Much to do here. I'm having dinner tomorrow for all the crew that can be here. Some can't of course. I share all my children and grandchildren with in-law parents now. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by FoM on April 07, 2007 at 19:17:45 PT Off Topic: Lewis Black Lewis Black has a special on Comedy Central now and it's really good and I thought some might want to check it out. I hope everyone is having a nice holiday weekend. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by Had Enough on April 07, 2007 at 14:36:08 PT Gerardo How about Geraldo… :) [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Had Enough on April 07, 2007 at 14:29:48 PT Not on videos Towards end of Transcript:RIVERA: ... if Ramos was Raminski, would we care?O'REILLY: We would certainly care.RIVERA: If he was an illegal?O'REILLY: If he broke the law , he would go — he gets deported the first time.RIVERA: Seventeen thousand fatalities drunk driving.O'REILLY: First time.All right. How much time do we have?We have one minute.What are you doing on your show this weekend? (Sweetheart) (when I saw it as it was happening, Bill referred to Gerardo as “Sweetheart” right there)RIVERA: Oh.(LAUGHTER)RIVERA: Well, thank you very much for asking, Bill.You know, seriously, I think that one of the wonderful things about our network is that we are fair and balanced, that impassioned common peers...O'REILLY: Yes. People can decide whether you're right or I'm right.RIVERA: Right. And they can.(CROSSTALK)O'REILLY: And they will decide that I'm right.(LAUGHTER)RIVERA: Well...O'REILLY: All right.RIVERA: Maybe your viewers will, and my viewers will judge it the other way.So, will — I think that there is — there is that — what that does is, you often talk about political correctness and left-wing media. And I think that they do think portray our network unfairly, because they fail to represent that we are on different sides of the fence, in this issue most passionately, but many others as well.O'REILLY: That's why we have you on every week.RIVERA: So, I — and I appreciate the chance.O'REILLY: Right. OK.Gerardo Rivera, check him out, 8:00 Saturday and Sunday, in "The Factor" slot.Good weekend. Happy Easter.***********As you can see they wanted to stage a hissy fit, concede, make nice, then talk about how ‘fair & balanced” Rupert Murdoch’s propaganda machine is. Pure Sensational Crap!!!http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,264526,00.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Had Enough on April 07, 2007 at 11:11:41 PT #5 There's No Buisness Like Show Buisness That looked like it was rehearsed if you ask me.I saw it the same night it happened. I noticed how they transitioned to a commercial all making nice. Look at the smirks on both of their faces at the end of it all.The next day Fox got as many advertising dollars off of it as they could, and all day long.It was all for show and ratings, which creates Rupert’s (modern day Randolph Hearst) advertising dollars. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on April 07, 2007 at 11:00:36 PT Off Topic: I Saw This On Tucker O'Reilly really lost it. It really did shock me. ***Bill O'Reilly literally Freaks Out on Geraldo on Immigration http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/50227/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on April 07, 2007 at 09:39:24 PT The Bulletin of Cannabis Reform http://www.drugscience.org/bcr/index.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by ekim on April 07, 2007 at 08:45:37 PT Leap in Canton Apr 10 07 Canton Retired Executives & Professional Men's Club 12:00 PM Howard Wooldridge Canton Ohio USA arranged by retired Judge Harry Klide http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/22/thread22479.shtmlBy Judge Harry E. Klide Source: Canton Repository Ohio -- I don't know whether America is going to win the war in Iraq, but I do know that we have lost the war against the use of drugs, which we have pursued for the past 30-plus years. The war on drugs has been a dismal failure. It is not truly a war against drugs, but a war against us - our people, our children, ourselves. http://www.leap.cc/events [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by ekim on April 07, 2007 at 08:16:44 PT NPR story http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9434794 NPR : Making the Case for Legalizing Marijuana http://blog.leap.cc/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on April 07, 2007 at 07:20:26 PT This is a blessing! I remember back during the LACRC, we were refused the honor of being taxed and we wre also refused the honor of being nonprofit.The Board of Equalization just didn't want to deal with medical marijuana, period. That was under Gray Davis, who only accepted medical marijuana because the voters crammed it down his throat. Maybe Arnold has a more open mind than he did? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment