Community | October 29, 2009 | 14 comments

Will Taxing Marijuana Help Fix the State Budget? One Politician Thinks So

source: http://laist.com/2009/02/23/will_taxing_marijuana_fix_the_state.php

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copperdragon
"With the state in the midst of an historic economic crisis, the move towards regulating and taxing marijuana is simply common sense. This legislation would generate much needed revenue for the state, restrict access to only those over 21, end the environmental damage to our public lands from illicit crops, and improve public safety by redirecting law enforcement efforts to more serious crimes", said San Francisco Assemblymember Tom Ammiano in a press conference today, which SFist described as a "media circus."

Ammiano continued to say "California has the opportunity to be the first state in the nation to enact a smart, responsible public policy for the control and regulation of marijuana."

The drug would still be illegal under federal law, but if passed, the Marijuana Control Regulation and Education Act would tax $50 per ounce. You would also need to be over the age of 21. Full presser is below.

AMMIANO PROPOSES BILL TO TAX AND REGULATE MARIJUANA Legislation Would Generate $1 Billion in New Revenue for CA
San Francisco, CA - Today Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco)
announced the introduction of groundbreaking legislation that would
tax and regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. The
Marijuana Control, Regulation, and Education act (AB 390) would create
a regulatory structure similar to that used for beer, wine and liquor,
permitting taxed sales to adults while barring sales to or possession
by those under 21.

"With the state in the midst of an historic economic crisis, the move
towards regulating and taxing marijuana is simply common sense. This
legislation would generate much needed revenue for the state, restrict
access to only those over 21, end the environmental damage to our
public lands from illicit crops, and improve public safety by
redirecting law enforcement efforts to more serious crimes", said
Ammiano. "California has the opportunity to be the first state in the
nation to enact a smart, responsible public policy for the control and
regulation of marijuana."

Having just closed a $42 billion budget deficit, generating new
revenue is crucial to the state's long term fiscal health. Board of
Equalization Chairwoman Betty Yee said, "This common sense measure
effectively prioritizes state resources during these times of fiscal
constraint. Prioritizing law enforcement to control the most serious
drugs while raising new revenues from casual marijuana use directed to
treating serious drug addiction is a prudent use of limited
resources."

"I support this legislation because I feel this issue should be the
subject of legislative and public debate," said current San Francisco
Sheriff Mike Hennessey. Orange County Superior Court Judge (retired)
James P. Gray added, "Assemblymember Ammiano is to be applauded in
addressing this critical issue honestly and directly."

"Marijuana already plays a huge role in the California economy. It's a
revenue opportunity we quite simply can't afford to ignore any
longer," said Stephen Gutwillig, California state director for the
Drug Policy Alliance. "It's time to end the charade of marijuana
prohibition, regulate the $14 billion market, and redirect law
enforcement resources to more important matters. Assemblymember
Ammiano has done the state an enormous service by breaking the silence
on this commonsense solution."

"It is simply nonsensical that California's largest agricultural
industry is completely unregulated and untaxed," said Marijuana Policy
Project California policy director Aaron Smith. "With our state in an
ongoing fiscal crisis -- and no one believes the new budget is the end
of California's financial woes -- it's time to bring this major piece
of our economy into the light of day."
http://laist.com/2009/02/23/will_taxing_marijuana_fix_the_state.php
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    Community,   California Politics
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14 comments // Will Taxing Marijuana Help Fix the State Budget? One Politician Thinks So

  • LadybugLady
  • hunzedog
  • acontradiction
  • PressCore
    • 0
      PressCore  
    • Image
    • acontradiction:

      Then make more. That's what the entire purpose of this article is about. To recreate an industry and then to tax it to give relief to others. It doesn't make anyone's case to use excessive obscene language, get loud, then run away with emotionalism. Current.com is a SOCIAL news community. Being so passively negative as to be offensive is anti social. Misrepresenting decent people whose peaceful customs you don't share by branding them "fiends" is malicious defamation, and even more offensively anti social. People do not get to be evil because others can't and won't understand their motives. In order to be just, ALL people need to be tolerant, and patient. There's a saying: "Everything you say and do always reflects the inner you" Noone was asked to pretend to set themselves up as judges over anyone here. You can disagree with others' viewpoints without being disagreeable. Most of the Christian monks of Europe were tokers of Cannabis. They regarded it as a holy sacrament because they said it connected them to the Holy Spirit (Peace), which is the 3rd part of the Christian Trinity. If you realy think they were "fiends" ,which is a hateful term, what does that make you ?

    • 2 years ago
  • Conniepae
    • 0
      Conniepae  
    • acontradiction:

      Abraham Lincoln disagreed with you when he said:

      "Two of my favorite things are sitting on my front porch smoking a pipe of sweet hemp, and playing my Hohner harmonica." - Abraham Lincoln (from a letter written by Lincoln during his presidency to the head of the Hohner Harmonica Company in Germany)

      And that's good enough for me!

    • 2 years ago
  • jswiz
  • FoosMaster
    • 0
      FoosMaster  

    • It's not yet a done deal. Let's keep up the fight. The most important thing next will be to have an overwhelming turnout of people voting for legalization. I would caution people that just because most people support legalization in California that if they only show marginal support that it will hurt the movement in other parts of the country. It will take an Overwhelming turnout in California to convince politicians in other parts of the country that Legalization is the best thing for the entire country. The problem is that too many people that are pro-legalization tend not to vote. If the pro-legalization public can be convinced to vote then I see a Large majority of votes to legalize it. Who actually takes the time to vote will be key. You can be sure that the churches will have programs to get people to go vote against it. They will even give people rides to the polling places. Businesses that oppose legalization and law enforcement will also have strong programs to defeat legalization and they will be turning out in record numbers to fight any form of legalization. If you think that just because most people want legalization that you don’t need to vote then you may as well be voting against legalization.
      Let’s make this happen people. VOTE!

    • 2 years ago
  • freshfish
  • Jjjjason7
  • PressCore
    • 0
      PressCore  

    • Since art represents imagination, and so life imitates art, after seeing the photo pictured above, I recalled the words of James Kirk in the episode "Lights of Zetar" maybe ?... "Could you get that excited over yada yada yada ? " I take it the subliminal message embedded in the space between the lines is saying : "We see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it's green ! " ( and Gold) Ya mon. How 'ya gonna keep em down on the farm once they're busy buzzing Jamaican # 1. (that's green and black by the way. Operational definition "in the black" as in sound economic policy.) You get the idea. No sane person would ever support the abuse of any drug by anyone. But since we are all physically a chemical soup made solid, what's the first thing people drink for breakfast but a drug in their drink called caffeine. Which is why the name Partnership for a drug free America is such an absolutist, hypocritical, farcical charade perpetrated by brainwashers. Behind the scenes, it's Big Pharma's lame attempt to steer people away from helpful, natural substances they can't patent and profit from like Cannabis which would put their snake oil parasitism out of business. There's no such thing as a drug free America. There has never been a drug free America. I have a small library loaded with bona fide histories of all types of drugs in America to support my statement. You can even watch authentic Journalistic Documentaries to verify my assertion by watching the History channel and VHI channel yourself. You needn't feel you have to have blind faith in my veracity. See for yourself. Since human nature simply is what it is, what's the probability it will ever be a drug free America ? In your dreams. As if. Like Cervantes' Don Quichotte that fantasy attitude is so much tilting at windmills. I believe in better living through chemistry. True love is chemistry ! I'm in love with someone, and I intend for it to last forever. Some call that obsession. I call it faith in God. The point ? So long as a substance is safe, and helpful, it's up to the individual to decide what works for them as they do in the U.K. of the Netherlands et al countries. If they're too young, and need to get through school first, it's up to parents to supervise their kids. Using the TV to brainwash children is Communistical, and UnAmerican. Rather than being coerced to living a lie, we're much better off by willing adopting attitudes of open mindedness, tolerance, and patience. Here's an enlightening thought:

      Be careful how you think. Your thoughts may become your ideas.

      Be careful of your ideas, they may become your words.

      Be careful of your words, they may become your actions.

      Be very careful of your actions , they might just become your habits
      whether good or bad.

      Be even more careful of your habits, they will become your character.

      Be the utmost careful of your character, it WILL become your destiny.

      "You are as you think,having become the creation you've thought yourself to be " Confucious.

      I hope Californians will turn out and vote for Peace & Prosperity. I may not physicaly reside there yet, but I have lived there. And I swear to you, it's my home too, and will always be my home. Verdad. So perhaps one of you good folks who are presently citizens of California will do me the honor of voting for me. Please, and thank you.

    • 2 years ago
  • cabinettags
    • 0
      cabinettags  

    • Thank you Tom; and thank you California. I've waited 40 years for this. At long last we have a legislator standing up in assembly and telling it like it is. It's a shame that the driving factor was money, but I'll take it anyway.

      Want to know what's most impressive about this to me? These 3 little words from the middle of the article. "end the charade".

      All along; all these decades, this has been crap. A lie. Generated by our Govt. And now Tom stands up and says it's time to end the charade. indeed

      Like I said, I'll take it. You can bet your bippie there will be no apologizes or restitution coming to the thousands & thousands of victims that have lost their possessions, their position in life, their very freedom in a government endeavor to tell the citizens of this country what they will and will not do. I'm happy to observe that the people of the United States still consider themselves free and have just finished proving it. Even against our own government.

      The govt said no and we did it anyway. In our millions. The govt got tough and started locking us up. We endured our casualties, thumbed our nose and went right on. Be proud of this folks. This is what we're about. Try as they may, in the end the govt. does not control the people of this country. Our initial European settlers came here seeking freedom. Those that followed did so for the same reason. Their blood flows in our veins. We support our govt but we don't kowtow to it. The people of this country decide what's good for them and what's not all by themselves. This situation is what happens when our representatives, for their own reasons attempt to decide for us. Doesn't work. Never has. Isn't going to.

      Freedom in America resides in the hearts of her people. We started out and still remain a nation of individualists. We can be led, but not forced. We're not unique in this world because of what we've accomplished. We're unique in this world because of who we are. What we've accomplished is the result of that.

      Go California !! You've got the standard - run with it!!

    • 2 years ago
  • PressCore
    • 0
      PressCore  
    • cabinettags:

      Great speech. Man, you sound like Heer Mandella himself. I'm of Dutch descent, and too open minded to miss your points. All the free masons, founding fathers, colonial Americans and great Presidents whose faces are carved into Mt. Rushmore are likely smiling on your words from the other side since they were all tokers of the sacred herb too.They also might be remembering Rowan & Martin's Laugh In now. having bet their bippies and sitting on their whoopee cushions. Only difference being that they no longer have to light up because they're the light now, and already permanently up.

    • 2 years ago
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