California to Vote on Legal Marijuana

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Kirata -> California to Vote on Legal Marijuana (1/12/2010 9:27:20 AM)
The first step to legalize marijuana in California could happen Tuesday. Lawmakers will vote on Assembly Bill 390 -- legislation to tax and regulate marijuana. The assembly's Public Safety Committee is expected to vote after a hearing that begins at 9 a.m. hearing in Sacramento. The bill, authored by San Francisco Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, would essentially treat pot the same way alcohol is treated under the law and would allow adults over 21 to possess, smoke and grow marijuana... Among the supporters of legalizing marijuana is a group of police, judges and prosecutors who formed a group called Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. The organization firmly believes that legalizing marijuana for adults will help improve American society by restricting youth access to it and taking the attraction away from cartels that traffic pot as an illegal substance. Proponents of the bill estimate that legalization could bring nearly a billion dollars a year into California's coffers, independent of the indirect financial benefits to the state. Comments? K.

AsmodaisSin -> RE: California to Vote on Legal Marijuana (1/12/2010 9:38:15 AM)
While i do not smoke at all(cigarettes or marijuana) i believe that if the government, California and Nationwide, legalized marijuana and taxed it as a cash crop the way we do tabacco, we could bring in a lot more internal revenue. THAT is important right now in this country. Just my two cents.

LadyEllen -> RE: California to Vote on Legal Marijuana (1/12/2010 9:48:53 AM)
A billion dollars in taxes sounds great. If only someone could be bothered to count it all eh? Anyone know of any Californian snack companies I can invest in? E

SL4V3M4YB3 -> RE: California to Vote on Legal Marijuana (1/12/2010 10:00:32 AM)
If they can grow it and smoke it outside of the tax system at present then why do people argue that suddenly it will be subject to tax if legalised? I've never understood this position because obviously things are cheaper when tax exempt.

AsmodaisSin -> RE: California to Vote on Legal Marijuana (1/12/2010 10:05:51 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: SL4V3M4YB3 If they can grow it and smoke it outside of the tax system at present then why do people argue that suddenly it will be subject to tax if legalised? I've never understood this position because obviously things are cheaper when tax exempt. Look, if our country is already heading down the toilet, we need to succeed in bringing in more revenue. Marijuana could be a source for that. Drilling for oil in our country would be another. Point being? If we can strap a price on it and get money out of it, why not? It's already sold for medical purposes.

pahunkboy -> RE: California to Vote on Legal Marijuana (1/12/2010 10:05:51 AM)
..it could boost tourism?

Mercnbeth -> RE: California to Vote on Legal Marijuana (1/12/2010 10:10:49 AM)
quote: Comments? hallelujah!!! Way to go California!!! it never should have been prohibited in the first place.

SL4V3M4YB3 -> RE: California to Vote on Legal Marijuana (1/12/2010 10:13:56 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: AsmodaisSin Look, if our country is already heading down the toilet, we need to succeed in bringing in more revenue. Marijuana could be a source for that. Drilling for oil in our country would be another. Point being? If we can strap a price on it and get money out of it, why not? It's already sold for medical purposes. Depends though doesn't it as to how accurate the predictions of income are? In the UK the liberal democrats are constantly talking about taxing high earners saying it will bring in x amount of money but the reality is people resist such taxation through avoidance. Thus the figures just cover those that act as expected and not those that find ways to avoid it. Then you have to consider other social cost factors such as the health costs (with a link between the drug and instances of mental illness amongst the young). Then with that we get to the argument that alcohol and smoking kills just as many people if not more (true). The reality is the government would ban those too if it could but the cat is out of the bag. Taxation doesn't always bring in the sums expected, this is all I'm saying.

Mercnbeth -> RE: California to Vote on Legal Marijuana (1/12/2010 10:18:21 AM)
quote: If they can grow it and smoke it outside of the tax system at present then why do people argue that suddenly it will be subject to tax if legalised? the only way one can grow it outside the tax system at present is to obtain a recommendation from an MD(which will cost you an office visit at the very least) AND have the resources/knowledge/space/security measures in place to grow it. as it stands now, if one obtains it from a dispensary, one pays sales tax (9.75%) that is then forwarded to the state. quote: ...I've never understood this position because obviously things are cheaper when tax exempt... depending where you shop, street prices are about the same as dispensary prices.

AsmodaisSin -> RE: California to Vote on Legal Marijuana (1/12/2010 10:18:23 AM)
i'm generally not a big fan of taxes. (Libertarian conservative; we DO exist. ^_^) With that being said, California is two seconds away from completely collapsing. If California can find a way to bring in new revenue, i have little reason to oppose it. Well, aside from suggesting we just blow it up and watch it sink into the ocean. ^_^ That would solve a lot of problems. Hehe.

AsmodaisSin -> RE: California to Vote on Legal Marijuana (1/12/2010 10:19:35 AM)
Like i said, turn it into a cash crop the way they do tabacco. Think about the jobs that would create as well.

pahunkboy -> RE: California to Vote on Legal Marijuana (1/12/2010 10:26:31 AM)
...I can picture an influx into the state.. really.

philosophy -> RE: California to Vote on Legal Marijuana (1/12/2010 10:32:14 AM)
FR ...the taxation issue is only part of the economic benefit. The other part is the enormous savings for the court and prison system.

popeye1250 -> RE: California to Vote on Legal Marijuana (1/12/2010 10:33:26 AM)
Is it going to be on a refferendum on the ballot where The People can vote on it?

thompsonx -> RE: California to Vote on Legal Marijuana (1/12/2010 10:33:35 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: AsmodaisSin While i do not smoke at all(cigarettes or marijuana) i believe that if the government, California and Nationwide, legalized marijuana and taxed it as a cash crop the way we do tabacco, we could bring in a lot more internal revenue. THAT is important right now in this country. Just my two cents. I find it intersting that while you are generally against taxes you are in favor of a tax that does not affect you. Doesn't it hurt your mouth when you talk out of both sides of it at the same time? HST.

SL4V3M4YB3 -> RE: California to Vote on Legal Marijuana (1/12/2010 10:37:07 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Mercnbeth the only way one can grow it outside the tax system at present is to obtain a recommendation from an MD(which will cost you an office visit at the very least) AND have the resources/knowledge/space/security measures in place to grow it. as it stands now, if one obtains it from a dispensary, one pays sales tax (9.75%) that is then forwarded to the state. Not the only way in reality though and those that get the cheap illegal version will still do so but with more confidence. Street prices may be more or less the same, perhaps when big business gets behind it small dealers won't be able to compete for price. quote: ORIGINAL: AsmodaisSin i'm generally not a big fan of taxes. (Libertarian conservative; we DO exist. ^_^) With that being said, California is two seconds away from completely collapsing. If California can find a way to bring in new revenue, i have little reason to oppose it. Well, aside from suggesting we just blow it up and watch it sink into the ocean. ^_^ That would solve a lot of problems. Hehe. This is a massive debt which dwarfs any remuneration expected through the taxation of drugs, they need a lot of other ideas too to get out of this one.

thompsonx -> RE: California to Vote on Legal Marijuana (1/12/2010 10:37:25 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: AsmodaisSin i'm generally not a big fan of taxes. (Libertarian conservative; we DO exist. ^_^) With that being said, California is two seconds away from completely collapsing. If California can find a way to bring in new revenue, i have little reason to oppose it. Well, aside from suggesting we just blow it up and watch it sink into the ocean. ^_^ That would solve a lot of problems. Hehe. A quick google would show you that California is the tenth largest economy in the world...not likely to fold anytime soon. Just which problems would it solve to "blow it up and watch it sink..." would it solve? HST.

AsmodaisSin -> RE: California to Vote on Legal Marijuana (1/12/2010 10:39:49 AM)
It could very well affect me, as i stated that i would support legalizing marijuana nationally. i generally do not support most taxes, or rather, i believe that tax cuts are more beneficial in most cases. In the case of California and the amount of debt it has accumulated, i see very little else they could do aside from lowering state taxes, legalizing and taxing a substance which is already used, turn it into a cash crop to offer more jobs to LEGAL workers, and try and rebuild their government. Or, as i half-jokingly suggested, blowing up the state and watching it slide into the ocean where it may be more beneficial. ^_^ And i'm not familiar with some of the terminology used. HST?

SL4V3M4YB3 -> RE: California to Vote on Legal Marijuana (1/12/2010 10:40:37 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: philosophy FR ...the taxation issue is only part of the economic benefit. The other part is the enormous savings for the court and prison system. This is why in the UK they opt for fixed penalty fines for users, which don't often involve the courts. Not sure what the case is there however.

AsmodaisSin -> RE: California to Vote on Legal Marijuana (1/12/2010 10:40:59 AM)
Of course they need other remedies. We're discussing the legalization of marijuana, though, and i feel that it would be a good step in the right direction.

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