Should We Tax Pot?

[Damagoman]

Dupont had just invented nylon for ropes and new it wasnt as good as hemp fiber.

Petro-chemicals(oil by-products) that now pollute the earth.
But no way to mass produce their products
Thus the re-legalization of hemp during WW II.

 

[flyfishinrock]

exactly ^

 

[Damagoman]

See how easy it is for them to do It.
And yet, they don't.
"Cain't fix stupid."

All these people come here saying "its too late, theirs too much money too be made keeping it illegal, the man is never gonna change the laws."

I guess I need to fine tune my marketing skills or something.
I'm barely self-sufficient.

 

[420]

i'd rather pay taxes on pot, than go to jail for it.

 

[Bee23]

^ word

 

[michaelkaer]

Here in Canada it costs about $80,000.00 per person to sit and rot in jail per year. I think that figure took into account police costs, court costs, and the actual housing costs. I am not sure how accurate that ammount is, but lets just use that as a starting point. If that money or even part of that money was put into rehab and education AND you had a tax on a legal product then I would say that taxing it is a win-win situation. My thoughts are if pot is made legal than all the red tape around industrial hemp will fall away and that would certainly stimulate the economy if everyone could grow hemp easily. Some people do not take that point into consideration.

 

[maxdisher]

Everyone can NOT distill their own alcohol and are limited as to how much beer and wine they can produce. Beer and wine are allowed up to a certain point. I am in an area where many do both, with wine made from various fruits being exchanged and tasted. Some have offered the distilled products of various wines, which I have declined as I don't use it.
To say that it is too much trouble to do or make or grow anything ignores reality.
In my past, I have done home brew, as did my father before me, made wine and distilled various fermented drinks. I have grown many things, one of which was pot, and for the most part, it was not at all difficult.
So, please don't label other peoples opinions "propaganda" and stick statements that begin with "everyone knows" into the old compost heap.
Freedom of choice forever!

Did you even read what I wrote? It has been federally legal to make your own alcohol since 1978. States have the right to regulate the production of alcohol, and limit home brewers -- in some cases banning it outright(as an aside I think that is how marijuana laws should be as well). Even where home production is banned you can just apply to your State's ABC board for a license to produce it. Besides, that is another story entirely as I was speaking from a federal level, the level of gov't the article was talking about. You might disagree with the law in that respect, but that was not my point. My point was that there is a thriving alcohol market despite the fact that brewing isn't rocket science and people CAN make it themselves legally.

Just because you've never had any trouble making alcohol and growing pot, doesn't mean its easy for everyone. You said yourself that your family has a history of brewing and you live in an area with many avid brewers, so advice was probably easy to get. In regards to growing pot some might lack your green thumb, or don't have access to good seed stock.

I wasn't saying that growing is impossible or hard for everyone, I was saying that the production of cannabis is a time consuming process not every stoner is going to want to go through. Pacula's research apparently indicates the weed market would bottom out and have a negligible impact on our economy as a result of everyone growing it themselves. I called BS because of what happened when homebrew was legalized (i.e. Nothing! No horrible crash of the alcohol market.) and because I know a hell of a lot of lazy people who would rather buy weed than grow it themselves.

I called the article propaganda because it contains little facts to back up the dubious claims it made. The few statistics that are provided are just numbers, with no description on how those numbers were derived. I'm sure the RAND study itself would have plenty of info that would perhaps enlighten me, but the author doesn't even mention which study Pacula draws her conclusions from, so how can I check?

People's opinions should not get a free pass against criticism just because everyone is free to form their own. There are opinions of differing quality, and opinions can go contrary to fact. For example, I'm sure some people think drinking beer is good for a cold -- opinion. They are free to think that, but they are wrong. Beer is a CNS depressant and makes you more sick when you drink it -- fact.


Max

 

[michaelkaer]

It is a fact that large amounts of taxpayers money is wasted on pot prohibition. Those savings could go back to the tax payer or go to other "hard" drug policing.The spin off effect of getting pot legalized is that hemp would have little or no red tape to it's groth as a crop. It has been proven to be a great cash crop, either as medicine or for the fibre and seeds. Taxing it is hoped to push it through governments that want to regulate it and make money off of it rather than making $0 off it. Hardcore naysayers in government could hold their nose long enough to pass it into law if it can be shown to be the money cow that can be milked that the alcohol and cigerette industries have turned out to be.

 

[flyfishinrock]

i just dont see why the gov has to profit off of everything. Maybe we should tax people for having kids, because theyre fun to make and a joy to have around.

 

[Jim Finnel]

i just dont see why the gov has to profit off of everything. Maybe we should tax people for having kids, because theyre fun to make and a joy to have around.

kids are already taxing . . .

tax - to make onerous and rigorous demands

 

[michaelkaer]

When dealing with government, sometimes you have to rely on greed being the factor that gets a bill passed. If you show them that they will look like heros and they will make a ton of money and they will have one less thing that the peole will be bugging them about, they may just go for it.

 

[Keith Lake]

kids are already taxing . . .

tax - to make onerous and rigorous demands

Good ol User, just flicking the jab

 

[livelong420]

It has become increasingly more difficult to have a positive outlook because of all of the bad news with the economy, etc. How can we spread awareness when most people aren't going to change their mind anyway? A million people sending letters is not nearly as effective as one lobbyist giving a politician some kickbacks for the vote he cast. Where's our 420 lobbyist lol?

Should we give up? Hell no. In a perfect world, we should be able to take our leaders and put them in jail for taking so much money from us to prosecute innocents. Arrest them. You've been arrested for growing a plant senator. Your arrest will cost your taxpayers $____. No bail, you're a drug lord because you have 5 lbs of cannabis growing in your house. Your court date will cost your taxpayers $____. Say goodbye to your family, you're in jail. Your incarceration will cost your taxpayers $____. You will serve the minimum sentence. Come back in a few days. Have you changed your mind about marijuana yet?

Let's release the people who've been incarcerated illegally (I remember the US inalienable rights, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (as long as you're not hurting anybody)). Don't punish us for our love of gardening or possession or selling. Marijuana should be on shelves at the grocery store. Maybe MJ cigs or $25 8ths, tax included. (Hey, I can dream can't I?) If my friends don't have any, I'd be willing to buy 420 from the grocery.

 

[michaelkaer]

Since this all started with taxing it and then not handing out the tax stamps to make it illegal. all they have to do is start handing out tax stamps,problem solved!

 

[Herb Fellow]

Re: Should We Tax Pot

i want to reply to the thread title not the article. No we should not tax pot. Nor should we make it legal. We shouldnt have to do these things because weed shouldnt be illegal in the first place, nor should we have to pax extra for it. Cannabis was here before humans were here....its going to be here way long after were gone. How the hell are we a country of so many people yet we let so few make all the damn decisions. The only way things are going to get moving in america is if we as a people stand up and do something. So stop reading this get off your ass and go do something! =]

Why should we throw our hard earn dollars at the government so we can smoke a weed?

 

[michaelkaer]

We all know it is a bribe but what we have now is extortion. If you try to smoke legally the feds swoop in and bust you and take all your stuff away. Actually that is called theft. The DEA are just a bunch of thieves when they take stuff from a legal dispensary or private person. I would rather pay the bribe and set up shop to sell and make money without the fear of my door getting busted in day or night. Like I said before, sometimes you have to appeal to the politician's greed.

 

[Herb Fellow]

Come on folks.....a tax on weed would be no different than a tax on alcohol. It won't cost ya any more than you are paying now and, for you folks that need a reason, we could use the taxes for things like healthcare for children. Personally, I think if it's not gonna cost me more....TAX IT. For the homegrower, like homebrewer, there would be no taxes collected. A little bit on "common" sense is needed here for the "common" good!

We threw tea in the harbor for less!

 

[Bee23]

^^
We also threw hot tar and feathers on the Tea tax-collectors.

 

[merickson]

MMJ should be taxed like other medicine.

Recreational marijuana should be taxed like other recreational intoxicants.

Marijuana is not the devil that some say that it is. Neither is it the angel that others claim.

Its just a nice plant. The law, including tax laws, should treat it like other plants.

 

[hood1]

I am a simple person per the poles the majority of Americans say the war should end I agree. Our rights should be returned with our dignity we are the majority.

Cherokee Fred Hussein