Colorado tax enforcer tells ’60 Minutes’: Weed beat the recession in Denver

[kpete]

Source: Raw Story

In a 13-minute segment broadcast Sunday night, CBS’s “60 Minutes” explored Colorado’s budding medical marijuana industry, and heard from a former drug cop turned tax enforcer who insisted that the industry has helped Denver beat the recession.

That runs contrary to President Barack Obama’s logic: he said in 2010 that legalizing marijuana is not “a good strategy to grow our economy.”

But the economic impact on Denver? According to Matt Cook, a former narcotics officer who oversees enforcement at the Colorado Department of Revenue, “it’s huge.”

.................

“Look at all the electrical contractors, HVAC contractors,” he said. “The number of ancillary businesses — it’s huge. Tax revenues exceeded, I believe the last number I heard was an excess of $20 million.”






Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/10/22/colorado-tax-enforcer-tells-60-minutes-weed-beat-the-recession-in-denver/

[wordpix]

1. the other financial benefit is stopping the drug wars. The pres candidates should be asked about it

Ending the drug wars would save the nation BILLIONS and taxes, registration fees, etc on pot growing and sales would be in the millions for every state. A win-win for all.

[maxsolomon]

7. neither will even admit they are contemplating it

if they are asked about it tonight (and the drug war is most certainly a foreign policy issue).

the states must lead. colorado and washington is where the end starts.

[musiclawyer]

10. Yes. I wonder if the good people of COL and WA have any idea how much power they possess?

They can strike a mortal blow to the hideous, immoral, and economically insane war on drugs, not just here but throughout the hemisphere, by the simple act of voting!

[maxsolomon]

12. i wouldn't say it's a mortal blow

merely a flesh wound, but hopefully the 1st of many.

but in fact, the WA initiative is not currently favored to pass. if the medical marijuana industry wasn't fighting it, it would.

[Comrade Grumpy]

14. The Washington initiative is leading in all the polls.

http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2012/oct/19/latest_polls_show_washington_mar

The two most recent polls had it up by 16 and 10 points, respectively.

[maxsolomon]

16. with undecideds likely to break for rejection

i already voted yes, but this state votes crazy a lot of times.

it is hard to be optimistic in a state that votes repeatedly for a 2/3 majority requirement to raise taxes when it's been repeatedly declared unconstitutional by the WA supreme court.

[Eleanors38]

17. "States must lead." How very true. Enough states and the political dynamic...

will be much like legalized gambling: No state is going to watch expenditures and tax revenues go to the one next to them.

The feds are especially locked in by the W.O.D.'s culture war. A war built upon Gingrich's re-framing liberals of the Democratic Party as immoral, corrupt products of the 60s and its pot-smoking. The W.O.D. is a FUNDAMENTAL underpinning of the Far Right's bolted-down, throw-away-the-wrench presence in the G.O.P. That is why I have never considered the W.O.D. as a "back-burner" or "hot-button" issue (a way for MSM to denigrate the importance of issues in favor of "more important" political/economic issues), but is instead a key and core element for the successful rise of the Far Right.

Curiously, since the G.O.P. owns the Dems on this issue, they are in the best position to relax the W.O.D. and benefit both politically and economically from a move toward legalization (gaining younger apathetic one-issue voters in the first instance, being on the ground floor of ever-more privatization of drug processing/sales in the latter). But as long as they see advantage in the paralysis of Democratic leadership, they will continue their spittle-flying support of the W.O.D. at the Gop's pleasure.

[calimary]

2. Stan Garnett for Attorney General!!!!

Won't happen, I'm sure (mainly because I would want it), but if I were president, I'd be looking for an attorney general with this mindset.

[Democrats_win]

3. Cops should protect kids from real threats: predators.

Clearly spending money on this BS war is stupid when our kids can't even walk to school anymore because it isn't safe. Put the cops on the streets and end the drug war!

[bemildred]

4. “What we deal with is what prosecutors call jury nullification"

Yep, and that is why the drug warriors are screwed.
(And the tax money.)

[TeamPooka]

5. k+r!

[sarcasmo]

6. That was a great piece except for the Fed who was in denial.

[Qutzupalotl]

8. He said budding.

Get it?

[Eleanors38]

18. MSM's way of Cheech & Chonging the issue; belittling it. nt

[Uncle Joe]

9. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

[BlueNoteSpecial]

11. Buy a...

...$20 sack of weed that helps my blood pressure, and I risk serving years in prison, further wasting the taxpayers resources. Rip off Grandma & Grandpa's life savings, live the good life in Boca Raton.

[christx30]

13. So to the Feds

It's better if you either die or spend $200+ per month on drugs from the pharm industry that might help. Christmas in Hawaii and that tax shelter in the Caymans arent going to pay for themselves, ya know.

I hate those assholes in Washington.

[Hemp_is_good]

20. That would require common sense

and lord knows governments, at least here, are seriously lacking in that.
I prefer to look at the overall HEMP market, rather than just the smokable stuff.
I've had it when I was at a place it was legal.
it's very pleasant, and did wonders of relaxing me after a stressful day.
No cigarette on the market comes close to what a couple puffs on a mixed cig can do.
it's sad because a hemp industry would be powerful for rejuvenating American textiles.
but... yeah that would require common sense and logic and those on the right don't have that.

[bamacrat]

15. It's as critical as the auto industry.

The weed industry would create jobs not just for those who grow and sell, but as the article sates, through support businesses. Electrical, HVAC the feed and seed industry all boom when weed is legal. Not only would our country save billions by just not enforcing the arcane marijuana laws. They would see an increase in jobs due to the supporting industries. Should be legal from an economic standpoint alone.

[Piazza Riforma]

19. While I think Hickenlooper is a good governor

he's flat out wrong on Amendment 64 so I'm going to disagree with him on this and vote yes.