CA To Introduce Bill to tax and regulate marijuana? NORML

[rcrush]

I saw this on the NORML bulletin post on Myspace. http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=75382536&blogID=472618547

Dear Friend,


Speaking at a landmark press conference today, California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) introduced comprehensive legislation to tax and regulate the commercial production and sale of cannabis in a manner similar to alcohol.


"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", Assemblyman Ammiano said. "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 proposal is the first marijuana legalization bill ever introduced in California.


"It's time for California taxpayers to stop wasting money trying to enforce marijuana prohibition, and to realize the tax benefits from a legal, regulated market instead," said Dale Gieringer, director of California NORML, a sponsor of the bill.


As introduced, Ammiano's measure would allow for the licensed production and sale of cannabis to consumers age 21 and over. Licensed cultivators would pay an excise tax of $50 per ounce of cannabis. In addition, the proposal would impose a sales tax on commercial sales. (Ammiano's proposal would not affect the state's medical marijuana law, allowing patients and caregivers to grow their own medicine.)


If enacted, the measure would raise over $1 billion per year in state revenue, according to an economic analysis by California NORML, available online here: http://www. canorml. org/background/CA_legalization2. html


Ammiano's bill comes at a time of growing public support for legalizing marijuana. A recent Zogby poll reported that nearly six in ten west coast voters support taxing and regulating marijuana like alcohol. Faced with a $40 billion budget deficit, other public officials have joined in endorsing Ammiano's bill, including San Francisco Sheriff Mike Hennessy and Betty Yee, a member of the State Board of Equalization, which oversees collection of sales taxes.


Currently, tens of millions of dollars are paid annually in state and local taxes by licensed distributors of medical marijuana. However, these sales only represent a fraction of the overall statewide marijuana market. "The millions of dollars raised each on the sales of medicinal cannabis is only the tip of the iceberg," Gieringer said. "Kudos to Assemblyman Ammiano for proposing a path-breaking bill that would benefit our economy, safety and freedom by making marijuana a winning proposition for California."


Sincerely,
The NORML Team

[Royal Sloan 09]

1. K & R, Yes, We Cannabis!

Solution = Legalize
:thumbsup: :smoke:

[crikkett]

11. LOLOL ... Now what was it we were going to do?

:shrug:

:rofl:

[ZombieHorde]

2. 5th rec, 2nd kick nt

[rcrush]

3. I've always wanted to visit California

If this passes I just may have to pack up and drive up there.

[Ghost in the Machine]

4. K&R!! Yes, We Cannabis!!

Damn, I'm soooo glad to see someone finally offering a sane solution.. the same one I've been advocating for 30 years...


Peace,

Ghost

[Warren DeMontague]

5. Wow. What a craaaazy idea! He must be high.

No, no, clearly the sensible thing is to shut down every government function that doesn't have to do with the military or incarceration of non-violent criminals, like schools, etc.

Legalize Pot? That's just crazy-talk!

:sarcasm:

[Warren DeMontague]

6. And why do we have to read about this on myspace? Where's the media?

The AP can't be bothered to give this a single fucking paragraph?

Oh, that's right, the media is too busy covering "legitimate" news, like octuplets and psycho chimps.

[poverlay]

7. K & R...nt

[Joanne98]

8. They should try to stick that on the May 19th ballot.

[tabbycat31]

9. good on CA

What a great revenue source, and it frees up much-needed prison spaces.

[nichomachus]

10. Let me get one thing straight (pardon the expression)

This means that it would still be illegal for me to grow pot in my backyard, but rather that I would have to buy it from Phillip Morris (or whomever), pay their inflated prices, and then pay tax on it. Right?

Not sure that this is a good idea.

[crikkett]

12. Just buy a license and pay $50/oz ...unless you have a prescription.

And the stuff is good for treating everything.

[Shakespeare]

22. nevermind...misread

Wanted to know where you were getting such a great price. :rofl:

[Warren DeMontague]

17. I'm not familiar w/the specifics here, but with alcohol, you can home brew a certain amount

every month.

I can't imagine why, with legalized pot, you wouldn't be able to have a similar situation.

[nichomachus]

20. Do you have a link for that

Seriously. I'm not being a jerk -- but I think that's one of those things that people believe, but which aren't true. I haven't been able to find any documentation of it. Maybe I'm just not good with the google.

[nichomachus]

23. Never mind -- found it

Federal law allows up to 100 gallons per person per year -- to a maximum of 200 gallons per household, but the states are free to restrict that any way they want.

For the mathematically impaired -- that's three bottles a day per person.

[Warren DeMontague]

24. Yeah, I was under the impression it was like a case of beer a week, or something..

I remember this because I had a brief period where I think I experimented with one of those home brew kits, back in my drinking days.

[1]

30. yes, exactly...

now, you can currently brew some beer and make some wine, but you can't distill a single ounce of liquor. very illegal. they have all sorts of revenuers in place and active to make sure you don't.

the only chance marijuana ever has to be legalized is if there is a tax revenue stream associated with it. and it would have to be a very big revenue stream to overcome the public objections. which means, no... you will not be able to grow pot in your backyard. and they will have all sorts of revenuers in place and active to make sure you don't.

there will be no effort to insure that the legitimate market's price will be attractively low. in fact, they would tax the shit out of it to make as much money as possible for the state.

you will not buy lbs at the local convenience store. you will buy little packs of 20, from phillip morris, all stamped and proper, like they sell cigarettes. at a high price. a price that will go up every year as new programs need funding.

maybe that's good. maybe that's not. i don't smoke, i'll let you decide.

of course this is just my opinion after watching governments in action over all of my years.

i could be wrong. but i'm not...

so... go california!

[dkofos]

13. I think $50 an ounce is a bit high. No pun intended.

[Ezlivin]

14. It is too high

If they want to extinguish the black market they need to make sure that the legitimate market's price is attractively low.

A grower's surcharge of $25/ounce would be much more reasonable.

[dkofos]

15. I was thinking more like $100 a pound.

[jmowreader]

27. I have the perfect rate: $160 per pound, or 50 cents per gram

Fifty cents per gram comes out to $227 per pound, but it also comes out to 25 cents per half-gram joint.

$160 per pound comes out to $10 per ounce. I see nothing wrong with a volume discount, especially since it will cost more to process the tax payments on single-joint sales.

Would YOU pay a quarter for a get out of jail free card?

[tritsofme]

26. Simply having a legitimate market would destroy the black market.

Most people are risk averse, and would opt to buy their bud when they pick up a six pack at the liquor store, instead of off the street from potentially shady characters.

Having a legitimate place to buy the stuff would likely ruin the business of the less shady folks out there as well.

I would say a vast majority of people would pay more for the security of legitimate channels.

You don't see the mob running booze in from Canada anymore for a reason.

[nichomachus]

21. Yeah -- you won't have any money left over

for Oreos.

[no limit]

35. Not for high grade, $50 an oz for high grade is nothing

[slay]

16. It's about time! No wait.... it's way past time

Just legalize it already. Should have been legal always, and it's long past time to make it legal. It's relatively harmless, we NEED the tax money it would provide, and it helps soooo many people from AIDS and cancer sufferers to glaucoma patients.

[Dark]

18. FUCKING A!

nt

[paulsby]

19. This is great

fwiw, Nevada not too long ago tried to legalize MJ via initiative (popular vote), which failed.

Maybe California will take the lead next. This is a bill, not a citizen initiative, so it's up to the legislature.

It would be interestign to see what the DEA under Obama's rule would do if California legalized pot.

Note that personal possession of small amounts of MJ is already decrim'd in california. It's a civil infraction.

[lame54]

25. This could be their political ad...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2gXBq7vxD8

[asdjrocky]

28. Nooooooooo!

The industry is doing just fine in Cali without state interference. Medical Marijuana contributes greatly to the state coffers now, all we need to do is to get the DEA to leave us alone.

[Merlot]

29. A silver lining to the budget deficit!

That is so cool. Who coulda predicted prop 13 would lead us here?

Oh, I do hope this is true. It may not pass this time, but we need to be having this discussion.

I don't smoke, but putting people in jail for MJ is just beyond barbaric.

[rcrush]

31. If this passes can I move in with someone in CA?

I'm a really awesome roommate.

[OnionPatch]

32. Encouraging, but the cost is too high.

If one doesn't have the freedom to grow a few plants for their own consumption, it's still unfair and infringing on our personal freedom. I'll support this type of legislation when people are free to grow a reasonable amount of their own. There would still be a huge market for commercially available pot because most people aren't gardeners. How many people grow their own veggies? It's very, very easy and yet the majority of people buy the bulk of their veggies from the grocery store. From what I've heard, pot is a lot harder to grow than lettuce. There's no reason at all to be so restrictive on growing your own.

[harun]

33. This is something that would help us get to that. One step in the process.

[lunatica]

34. Funny how suddenly Marijane is good for the economy

Could it be far off to think the politicians will figure out that the more pot it allows to be grown the more income it has from the sales thereof? Perchance will they legalize it by seeing it's value as hemp too?

stay tuned.

[montanto]

36. This is great news.

Coupled with the medical laws already in place legitimate medical needs users and recreational users would nearly have a safe haven. Federal law still trumps however, which makes it hard to imagine being comfortable growing your own even if you have paid the state to do so. After all, signing up and paying fees opens you up to investigation from the fed. Still, I'm hopeful.

[suede1]

37. This is great, and I don't even like to smoke pot. But the war on drugs is... disgusting.

[StrongBad]

38. I live in CA and have a Medical MJ Certificate. I'm wary of this change.

In all honesty, I think the system works great now the way it is and my first instinct is that if this passes the state is going to somehow fuck things up. My main concern is the taxes which may result in higher prices if the point is to generate revenue.

It's not hard to get legal access to weed in CA via a medical license. Right now a quality 1/8th could be had for $50 and I would hate to see that increase.

[Maat]

39. The federal government will assert federal supremacy via ..

the Commerce Clause (the clause they use to regulate everything medical now).

This is what I am concerned about.

Out here in Calif., we decriminalized use of pot to the point of darn-near legalization. We permitted medical marijuana in places; BUT, then the Feds started getting pissy, and raiding the medical marijuana establishments.

Ultimately, we need to do this on a federal level; at the state level, it might be a good start.

Big Pharma will fight it, of course, and insist the Feds (DEA) get involved, because they want patients spending millions on their happy pills instead of using affordable pot.

I'm not a user myself, but I fully support legalization. It just helps so any people without harsh side effects.