cannabisnews.com: Benefits From a Marijuana Tax?
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Benefits From a Marijuana Tax?
Posted by CN Staff on April 09, 2010 at 04:49:14 PT
By The Monitor's Editorial Board
Source: Christian Science Monitor
California -- Backers of the November ballot initiative to legalize marijuana in California are selling the idea based on economics: The state is in dire financial straits; taxing and regulating the drug – much like alcohol – could raise $1.4 billion for state coffers.That estimate comes from the California Board of Equalization, which administers the state's sales taxes. The source gives the economics argument an air of credibility. Even so, voters shouldn't inhale it.
The board's estimate "is based on a series of assumptions that are in some instances subject to tremendous uncertainty and in other cases not validated," said Rosalie Liccardo Pacula of the RAND Corporation, in testimony before the state Assembly. Dr. Pacula is an economist who has studied drug policies for 15 years.One of the highly questionable assumptions is that a legal market can sustain a proposed $50-an-ounce tax on marijuana. The black market can easily undercut that tax, siphoning sales away from legal distributors and eroding tax revenues.This is exactly what happened in Canada with cigarette taxes. In the 1990s, a mere $2 price difference between Canadian and US cigarettes created such a smuggling problem that Canada repealed its tax hike.And then there are the costs that will be incurred with increased use – and legalization will drive use.These costs relate to treatment of dependency (over a third of self-reported users of marijuana in the past year are dependent), missed and tardy work, drugged driving accidents, and increased crime.The Netherlands, so often pointed to as the reasonable case for legalization, has discovered that normalizing marijuana increased dependence on the drug, spawned more dealers of harder drugs, and attracted a flood of rowdy "drug tourists" from other countries. Add to this the cost of regulation itself.America's experience with alcohol and tobacco shows that health, lost productivity, and law enforcement costs far exceed tax revenues. These industries have not managed to keep their products from young people. A legal pot-smoking age of 21 would similarly fail to keep this drug away from youth.Other states, such as Washington, Oregon, and Nevada, are looking at regulating and taxing marijuana. The budget argument is enticing. But economically, and in many other ways, legalizing pot does not add up.Source: Christian Science Monitor (US)Published: April 8, 2010 Copyright: 2010 The Christian Science Publishing SocietyContact: letters csmonitor.comWebsite: http://www.csmonitor.com/ URL: http://drugsense.org/url/tYPHHjDpCannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/Cannabis.shtml
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Comment #12 posted by runruff on April 12, 2010 at 07:10:16 PT
"legalizing pot does not add up."-CSM
This means of course the Xristians in this sect believe in caging and killing people over a plant?Add up? This would mean we need to add blood to the equation and extort thousands more years of human life, in order to balance the Leger?
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Comment #11 posted by Hope on April 11, 2010 at 08:56:57 PT
Raising money to fight the battle
in California and Oregon and Washington....T-Shirts. Buttons. Lapel jewelry.This could be good."As for the angels". Memorabilia of the future if we survive 2012.
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Comment #10 posted by Had Enough on April 09, 2010 at 17:12:34 PT
Re: .#9
The Christian Science Monitor“” Again these lowlifes open their mouths about things they have no knowledge of?!!!! They never learn, do they?””It’s because ...They Believe in things they don’t understand...very superstitious people!!!************Stevie Wonder ~ Superstitionhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDZFf0pm0SE&feature=related***Stevie Wonder & Jeff Beck - Superstition 2009(HD)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeUKOFVO15w
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Comment #9 posted by Vincent on April 09, 2010 at 16:45:10 PT:
The Christian Science Monitor
Again these lowlifes open their mouths about things they have no knowledge of?!!!!They never learn, do they?
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #8 posted by Had Enough on April 09, 2010 at 12:35:50 PT
Quote of the Day...
...or just maybe...The Quote of the Century...***Quote about marijuana:"If (Marijuana) were unknown, and bio-prospectors were suddenly to find it in some remote mountain crevice, it’s discovery would no doubt be hailed as a medical breakthrough. Scientists would praise it’s potential for treating everything from pain to cancer and marvel at it’s rich pharmacopoeia ~~ many of whose chemicals mimic vital molecules in the human body" The Economist, "Reefer Madness, Marijuana Is Medically Useful Whether Politicians Like It or Not," April 29, 2006.Amazing Marijuana Facts:There are five types of cancers that marijuana stops tumor cells from spreading: brain, breast, lung, pancreatic, and prostate.Marijuana is the number one cash crop in the United States and in each of these states: Alaska, Alabama, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.Found here...http://www.pufmm.org/
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Comment #7 posted by Hope on April 09, 2010 at 11:15:04 PT
Comment 6 Go Florida!
Sounds like some great ideas and plans. Get out there and get 'em, Florida. Get 'em good!
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Comment #6 posted by Had Enough on April 09, 2010 at 11:05:16 PT
Florida...Lets Roll !!!
People United for Medical Marijuana - Florida
FAST FACTSWe are collecting signatures on a ballot initiative designed to change Florida's constitution and allow patients access to medical marijuana. We need 676,811 valid signatures and at least one million dollars. We have collected an estimated 37,000 signatures and $11,670 in donations.Download and sign this petition to help bring medical marijuana to Florida. Register Now to get on our email list and receive automatic updates. Donate online with a credit card by clicking here. Find out about getting a t-shirt and stickers by visiting our membership page.HOW YOU CAN HELPWe are looking for 700 people around the state that can commit to 40 volunteer hours. They are known as the PUFMM Elite and will get special privileges throughout the campaign. These people will collect 1,000 signatures each and $400 in donations over the course of the campaign. This will provide us with exactly what we need to get medical marijuana legalized in Florida. Join this group today! Simply send an email to info pufmm.org.UPCOMING EVENTS-March 2010There are signature collecting events scheduled every week in many areas of the state. Go to our chapters page and click on the meetup group closest to you. Consider making Orlando your vacation destination and helping us collect signatures for a few hours during an event. Either way, please get involved.We continue our lobbying efforts by traveling to Tallahassee. We need help from lobbyists. If you, or someone you know is a lobbyist, please let us know.Central Florida Earth Day 2010 Lake Eola in Beautiful Downtown Orlando - The event takes place on April 24 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. We have a booth and need at least 20 volunteers for different times throughout the day. RSVP to info pufmm.org.***Found here...http://www.pufmm.org/
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Comment #5 posted by Hope on April 09, 2010 at 09:23:55 PT
The Dutch are the Tourist Extraordinaires
of the world. They are legally entitled to vacations in ways that would astound many U.S. Citizens and they take vacationing very seriously. They seem to realize that rest and recreation are an important part of that 'survival and more' ethic and practices cycle. Vacations are for touring. They want to explore and travel the world and see everything and do everything they can. They tend to be very hardworking and industrious people. They do not dislike, in general, I think, having most tourists in their country.Hemp World?
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Comment #4 posted by The GCW on April 09, 2010 at 08:30:07 PT
runruff,
"Why?"See Judehttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jude+1&version=NASB
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Comment #3 posted by runruff on April 09, 2010 at 07:51:39 PT
The thing is this.
They call an herb that has never hurt anybody evil....why?
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Comment #2 posted by runruff on April 09, 2010 at 07:49:28 PT
The CSM
After all "science" is their middle name.
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Comment #1 posted by Sam Adams on April 09, 2010 at 06:24:27 PT
the pace of lying has slowed
interesing! You can almost get the sense that CSM is treading carefully, they must know their last anti-marijuana tirade sounded like an irrational lunatic's rant. They must have figured out that mainstream USA won't go for the more outrageous slurs and lies anymore. However, they're still trying!"The Netherlands, so often pointed to as the reasonable case for legalization, has discovered that normalizing marijuana increased dependence on the drug, spawned more dealers of harder drugs, and attracted a flood of rowdy "drug tourists" from other countries. Add to this the cost of regulation itself."Look at how they skate around the truth - we all know that Holland has less MJ use, and FAR less hard drug use than the US! "more dealers" bullpuckey! these people have the fertile imagination of a 4-year old. This sounds like a 3rd grader's excuse! "Mom, a pack of wild drug dealers stole my homework, honest!!"And the "cost of regulation"!!! How nice of the CSM to suddenly look out for us taxpayers! Wouldn't want too spend too much, it's so much better to arrest 800,000 people per year! Much cheaper than collecting taxes!As Jesse "the body" said, religion is for the weak-minded. I can't think of any better evidence than this publication for his theory."The source gives the economics argument an air of credibility. Even so, voters shouldn't inhale it. "ah, the evil "inhaling" of the devil's fumes! It would be so much better if we CHUGGED the alcohol sacrement of your "Church", wouldn't it! Give up your liver! It's "God's" way!
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