cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Taxes Prove Sticking Point in Colorado
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Marijuana Taxes Prove Sticking Point in Colorado
Posted by CN Staff on April 30, 2013 at 12:11:51 PT
By Kristen Wyatt, Associated Press
Source: Associated Press
Denver -- Marijuana as a potential tax bonanza has Colorado lawmakers wrestling with a question both sides say they don't know how to answer: How much will people pay for legal weed?The state House advanced a taxing measure Monday to levy a pot tax in excess of 25 percent, a reduction from the 30 percent rate lawmakers considered last week.
The proposal sparked a lively floor debate over the proper tax rate for a drug that's never been taxed before. Democrats argued that voters want high pot taxes, and that consumers will gladly pay a premium for the assurances that would come from a regulated and legal drug supply."We need to responsibly tax it," said the measure's sponsor, Rep. Jonathan Singer, D-Longmont.He predicted Colorado voters would happily sign off on marijuana taxes. Colorado law requires voters to approve new taxes.Republicans argued against the taxes, though. They pointed out that Colorado voters have a history of rejecting tax hikes, even for popular public programs, and that the public's desire for a marijuana windfall may not materialize unless the tax rate is lower."Taxation of marijuana is right, just, and proper. But we have make sure this passes," said House Republican Leader Mark Waller.Other Republicans noted that marijuana taxes would be in addition to hefty licensing and application fees to enter the business. The result, they feared, could be the retention of a black market for pot. The measure approved by voters last year allows not just retail pot sales, but also home marijuana growing, raising the specter of plentiful homegrown weed to compete with the taxed marijuana."The consensus has always been that the industry needs to pay for itself ... but whether we like it or not, there's already an entrenched black market in place," said Rep. Dan Nordberg, R-Colorado Springs.The tax debate came after a largely party-line vote on a separate marijuana bill to regulate how the newly legal drug can be grown, packaged and sold.Among other things, that bill requires potency labels, serving-size limits on edible pot and purchasing limits for out-of-state buyers. The regulation bill also revives a marijuana blood-limit standard for drivers, a proposal that has failed four times in the Senate. The House vote Monday to revive the DUI standard renews the battle.A third marijuana bill awaits action in the Senate. That measure includes less controversial pot regulations, such as a new crime of providing marijuana to people under 21.Washington and Colorado, the only two states that have legalized pot for recreational use, are still awaiting federal response to the votes. Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, even for medical use.Online:Marijuana regulation bill: http://bit.ly/11RIeiYMarijuana tax bill: http://bit.ly/12ekKlFSource: Associated Press (Wire)Author: Kristen Wyatt, Associated PressPublished: April 29, 2013Copyright: 2013 The Associated PressCannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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Comment #12 posted by runruff on May 03, 2013 at 19:16:12 PT
LEOs v Potheads
Potheads are winning wicked bad. What does that say about cops?
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #11 posted by fight_4_freedom on May 03, 2013 at 11:17:31 PT
If I had a penny for everytime I heard a cop say
that to me Runruff....lol...my response always..you know what, I will! lol Hope all is well with my C-News family.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #10 posted by The GCW on May 02, 2013 at 06:51:55 PT
gloovins,
That's encouraging.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #9 posted by gloovins on May 01, 2013 at 18:08:35 PT
Let it grow in 2013 - IH at least....
http://durangoherald.com/article/20130429/NEWS01/130429511/Hemp-horticulture-to-be-sprouting-in-Colo
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #8 posted by The GCW on May 01, 2013 at 09:38:09 PT
informative comment
Article Discussion: Law enforcement groups decry Colorado ma
by WesM55 on Today, 7:47 am #2996344420 Weekend DUI Report, 78% Fewer DUI Arrests Than St.Patrick's WeekendThe Colorado Department Of Transportation press release titles say it all: "481 Arrested for DUI Over St Patrick's Day Weekend". "421 Arrested for DUI over Super Bowl Weekend", "563 Arrested During Thanksgiving DUI Crackdown". "Halloween Turned Into a Nightmare for 564 Colorado Driver".But what about the famous stoner holiday? With pot now legal for adults in Colorado, surely CDOT would have a press release for this too, but alas, since good news is no news, they do not. From the CDOT website, we can see the "Heat Is On" campaign arrest data for the Spring Event Enforcement period. During the four day, "420 Holiday" weekend, 4/19 - 4/21, just 109 DUI arrests, with only one for DUI-drugs. Imagine that, 78% fewer arrests than the national drinker's holiday, St Patrick's, and even 31% fewer than the previous (4/13) weekend total of 150 arrests.It is likely that over 500,000 people celebrated the 420 weekend in Colorado. Could it be that people are actually more responsible when they smoke pot than when they drink?http://neighbors.denverpost.com/viewtopic.php?p=2996344&postvote=up&no_increase_views=1&postvoteorder=1#p2996344
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #7 posted by ekim on May 01, 2013 at 08:05:07 PT
Report on Hemp farming
http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2013/04/federal_hemp_legalization_gaining_support_from_all.php#more
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #6 posted by The GCW on May 01, 2013 at 05:52:05 PT
It's not about the money though
Yes, pot revenues will too cover costshttp://www.denverpost.com/carroll/ci_23141486/carroll-yes-pot-revenues-will-too-cover-costs
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #5 posted by The GCW on May 01, 2013 at 05:21:16 PT
Know what government is doing
Calif. spends big on anti-psychoticshttp://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_23145289/ap-exclusive-calif-spends-big-anti-psychotics(This is an article about mental health drugs used in prisons. It's interesting how government prohibits cannabis to the degree that it does and on the other hand uses these substances so freely, often in dubious ways.) "Anybody who comes in on mental health (referrals), we put on a psychotropic,"
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #4 posted by Canis420 on April 30, 2013 at 21:54:38 PT:
The market
will take care of itself. Tax it all you want. People growing their own will proliferate and people will share abd the price will tank imho
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #3 posted by runruff on April 30, 2013 at 18:07:31 PT
Here is a cute little quip LEOs used to like.
"If you don't Like the law, change it!" They don't say that any more, do they? In fact, I'll bet they are more careful with making any suggestions.I am so grateful for spell check. I cannot type and think at the same time.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #2 posted by The GCW on April 30, 2013 at 17:09:06 PT
We don't make the laws, we just enforce them.
Law enforcement groups decry Colorado marijuana billshttp://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_23140718/law-enforcement-groups-decry-colorado-marijuana-bills
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #1 posted by mexweed on April 30, 2013 at 16:42:05 PT:
More Suggestions for Colorado
1. "... that consumers will gladly pay a premium for the assurances that would come from a regulated and legal drug supply." Cannabis is an herbal nutritional supplement, a hot-burning monoxide joint is a drug. Instead of paying salaried bureaucratic guards, invest in a vaporizer or a $2 one-hitter for every user, combining regulation and legality in the utensil.2. "... the public's desire for a marijuana windfall may not materialize unless the tax rate is lower." Once legal, the windfall will never materialize because no one will waste money on easy-to-hide but wasteful 500-mg joints out of fear of being caught owning a one-hitter. Trusted source of safe herb will be the kind lady raising two plants down the street.3. "... a new crime of providing marijuana to people under 21." A stop-smoking program reminds bus riders that more than half of all [$igarette] smokers started before they were 18. Access to cannabis for minors INSTEAD OF NICOTINE $IGARETTES can head off the Number One Health Disaster on the planet, 6,000,000 addict deaths a year. Touch the Political Third Rail and advocate One-Hit Literacy for every child.
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