Missouri voters approve legalization of marijuana for recreational use

[lennypartiv]

Wrong.
They benefit by not being subject to unwarranted government excess and overreach concerning the personal use of marijuana.
They benefit by not being subject to needless arrests, detention, and fines.

 

[EvilCat Breath]

Wrong.

They benefit by not being subject to unwarranted government excess and overreach concerning the personal use of marijuana.

They benefit by not being subject to needless arrests, detention, and fines.

They benefit by becoming Portland.

 

[Polishprince]

Yes, the higher the taxes and/or regulations the larger the black market however it takes VERY high tax rates to create a viable black market. Booze here is taxed at a whopping 50%. Cigarettes are also very heavily taxed everywhere in the entire country.

Neither has a viable black market. Sure, there are some people legally making and selling those products but there are extremely few of them. The reality is that making something legally costs a LOT of time, money and effort to try and move a product that people will be enormously suspicious of and cannot get by simply walking to the local store.

Indeed, the convivence of getting a joint at the local 'budtender' will destroy the black market at almost any tax rate. The convenience is worth one hell of a markup.

The Cigarette Black Market is tremendously viable. In New York City, the racketeers have a 56% market share.

New York's high cigarette taxes fuel black market sales

Group says more than half of cigarettes in state were smuggled

www.pressrepublican.com

I think that if you put a high enough tax on grass, brick of weed will just start falling off the back of trucks.

 

[FA_Q2]

The Cigarette Black Market is tremendously viable. In New York City, the racketeers have a 56% market share.

New York's high cigarette taxes fuel black market sales

Group says more than half of cigarettes in state were smuggled

www.pressrepublican.com

I think that if you put a high enough tax on grass, brick of weed will just start falling off the back of trucks.

While I do not disagree that a high enough tax will drive it back to the black market I do not buy the cited article. I cannot find the original reference to the study and the name of the group, the foundation, is terribly generic. A whole lot of news agencies cite the group and none of them link to the original source or use more than that single cite. Usually that means the news agencies are making shit up from studies they do not understand. I could buy a reasonable number but over 50% is just plain bullshit. CA taxes are almost as high and of the hundreds of smokers that I have come into contact with I can't think a single one that was over the age of 20 and bought them from a location other than a standard store or gas station.