Colorado puts 25% tax on marijuana

[The Rabbi]

If you add a 25% tax to an 1/8th of an ounce of weed costing $30, it will still be less than the $65 it costs on the black market.

Why would the black market stuff cost so much when legal stuff is available for less? It is impossible. Ergo, you are making shit up.

^World class idiot.

Another Econ PhD weighs in. lol.

 

[Politico]

Good. Tax em'.

 

[novasteve]

So will the taxes raised by set aside to pay for the law enforcement costs of going after the black market to avoid paying this tax ?

 

[Caroljo]

I think all states should do this, make it legal...tax it like cigarettes. They're never going to stop people from smoking it anyway, and it's safer than alcohol!

Michigan passed the medical marijuana law in 2010....yet even if you have a card and your employer finds out you smoked it, they can still fire you. Makes no sense! Now there's someone (some Representative) I just read about that wants Michigan to make it so people can buy it at their local pharmacy (with a prescription of course). If your own doctor prescribes it, I wonder if your employer could still fire you? Guess I just don't understand that part of it!!

well you7 can buy cigarettes
at a local store and alcohol as well so why not marijuana ?

if you are under the influence of alcohol or stoned of course you can be fired bisiness owners have rights as well .

That's fine with me....like I said, it's not as dangerous as alcohol or cigarettes. I smoke cigs, so don't get me wrong...I hate the high tax (but then, I have been trying for years to quit too!). I hate that smokers get singled out. In our city they've passed a ban on smoking in all public parks (can't even smoke the E cigs!!) That's going too far!

My question about getting fired...if Pot was legal (or through a prescription my Dr gave me) and I smoked some the night before, then the next day I cut my finger at work so I'm sent to the med center for stitches...(they always drug test you when you're hurt at work), and they find some in your system, could they get away still with firing you for it? I just kind of wondered how that would work. Because it does stay in your system for a while, depending on how much you smoke it.

There was a guy in Battle Creek Michigan (I think this hit the national news) that worked at Walmart and had cancer. He had a Med Marijuana card. He did not smoke it while at work. But he'd gotten hurt by tripping over a skid or something and he was drug tested. He then was fired for it. He went to court for 2 yrs over it, and lost. The guy had fricking cancer and a card! What good does it do?

 

[jon_berzerk]

Annual deficit? What annual deficit? Won't be long before the other states follow suit, like they did with casinos and the lottery. Fed is going to have to soon too, because the rich would rather have stoners pay off the national debt.

Colorado voters approve 25 percent taxes on recreational marijuana

maybe

however studies have shown

that when you raise taxes too high

the black market does real well

 

[jon_berzerk]

So will the taxes raised by set aside to pay for the law enforcement costs of going after the black market to avoid paying this tax ?

no

it is for the children

 

[martybegan]

wrong. marijuana will just go underground as it was before.
Overtaxing results in the same activity as ban does - the contraband will flourish.

And some of us warned of exactly that outcome.
Look at NYC, which raised taxes on cigarettes massively. The result is a huge underground economy of black market cigs so big that cops don't even arrest people for selling them in the subways anymore.

well that is a standard law of balance
old as the earth is

Cigarette bootlegging is far easier and less costly than pot bootlegging would be. Cigs have a massive distribution network, at which at any step product can "fall off the truck". Add this to the myriad of places you can buy cigs, and you have massive opprotunity for illegal action. You also have to remember that in NYC the cig tax is not 25%, but closer to 250%, which gives you a much higher incentive to avoid the tax and pocket some of the difference.

 

[KevinWestern]

It is "idiocy" to think that taxed, legal weed will be more expensive than illegal, black market weed.

of course it will be more expensive.
otherwise black market does not have any reason to exist - what is it going to propose to the consumer which he already does not have?

Is taxed, legal alcohol more expensive than black market alcohol (which is untaxed?).

Do we see any bootleggers these days?

 

[jon_berzerk]

And some of us warned of exactly that outcome.
Look at NYC, which raised taxes on cigarettes massively. The result is a huge underground economy of black market cigs so big that cops don't even arrest people for selling them in the subways anymore.

well that is a standard law of balance
old as the earth is

Cigarette bootlegging is far easier and less costly than pot bootlegging would be. Cigs have a massive distribution network, at which at any step product can "fall off the truck". Add this to the myriad of places you can buy cigs, and you have massive opprotunity for illegal action. You also have to remember that in NYC the cig tax is not 25%, but closer to 250%, which gives you a much higher incentive to avoid the tax and pocket some of the difference.

Cigarette bootlegging is far easier and less costly than pot bootlegging would be.

it worries the ATF to no end

they are saying it is now the most bootlegged item

cigs with the wrong tax stamp

why not across the border out here

on the res a carton that costs 70 bucks here

runs about 40 bucks

if you go with the native brands 22 bucks a carton

 

[jon_berzerk]

It is "idiocy" to think that taxed, legal weed will be more expensive than illegal, black market weed.

of course it will be more expensive.
otherwise black market does not have any reason to exist - what is it going to propose to the consumer which he already does not have?

Is taxed, legal alcohol more expensive than black market alcohol (which is untaxed?).

Do we see any bootleggers these days?

Do we see any bootleggers these days?

yes

 

[martybegan]

well that is a standard law of balance
old as the earth is

Cigarette bootlegging is far easier and less costly than pot bootlegging would be. Cigs have a massive distribution network, at which at any step product can "fall off the truck". Add this to the myriad of places you can buy cigs, and you have massive opprotunity for illegal action. You also have to remember that in NYC the cig tax is not 25%, but closer to 250%, which gives you a much higher incentive to avoid the tax and pocket some of the difference.

Cigarette bootlegging is far easier and less costly than pot bootlegging would be.

it worries the ATF to no end

they are saying it is now the most bootlegged item

cigs with the wrong tax stamp

why not across the border out here

on the res a carton that costs 70 bucks here

runs about 40 bucks

if you go with the native brands 22 bucks a carton

In places like NYC the fed tax is dwarfed by the local tax. You dont even have to go to an indian reservation, just load up in virginia, wait a few weeks to keep the cops off your hide, then drive the van or SUV up to NYC and go to any bodega in a crappy neighborhood. The locals will even figure out how to get the proper tax stamp on them, no work for you at all.

 

[hangover]

Annual deficit? What annual deficit? Won't be long before the other states follow suit, like they did with casinos and the lottery. Fed is going to have to soon too, because the rich would rather have stoners pay off the national debt.

Colorado voters approve 25 percent taxes on recreational marijuana

wrong. marijuana will just go underground as it was before.
Overtaxing results in the same activity as ban does - the contraband will flourish.

Especially since they are trying to turn pot from an illegal product into a legal product. The distribution lines for illegal sales are already well entrenched and established. It is the legal outlet trying to make a dent in illegal sales.

What is the penalty for having illegal and untaxed marijuana? Will there be federal stickers on pot sales like there are in cigarette sales? It is idiocy to think that people will pay more, significantly more, for pot just to get it legal when they've been getting it illegally for years.

That's like saying that since prohibition, people would continue to make moonshine rather than buy it. What a stupid argument.

 

[hangover]

Legitimate doctors won't prescribe weed. A clinic doctor will. For $250.00 you'll get your letter.

A real doctor, if you have one, might refuse to treat you for whatever you have as long as you are using pot. Particularly men since male pot users have such a high incidence of testicular cancer.

Another stupid argument. In California and many other medical marijuana states, anyone can get a prescription for a sore toe, from almost any doctor, unless it's a stupid right wing doctor.

Especially since they are trying to turn pot from an illegal product into a legal product.

No, they're turning it BACK into a legal product. Back when the founding fathers were running this country, it was mandatory to grow marijuana if you owned land. It was used for making rope, paper and clothing. The timber industry, Nylon industry, cotton industry, and alcohol industries all hand a hand in making it illegal, because they didn't want the competition.

 

[editec]

Annual deficit? What annual deficit? Won't be long before the other states follow suit, like they did with casinos and the lottery. Fed is going to have to soon too, because the rich would rather have stoners pay off the national debt.

Colorado voters approve 25 percent taxes on recreational marijuana

25% SALES TAX ON what cost?

If people can could grow pot legally without restriction>

The value of pot is going to drip through the floor.

Gowing it legally on an industrial scale, and not working too hard to process it for smokage, one could sell raw pot at about $40 a pound and still make money.

 

[jon_berzerk]

Cigarette bootlegging is far easier and less costly than pot bootlegging would be. Cigs have a massive distribution network, at which at any step product can "fall off the truck". Add this to the myriad of places you can buy cigs, and you have massive opprotunity for illegal action. You also have to remember that in NYC the cig tax is not 25%, but closer to 250%, which gives you a much higher incentive to avoid the tax and pocket some of the difference.

Cigarette bootlegging is far easier and less costly than pot bootlegging would be.

it worries the ATF to no end

they are saying it is now the most bootlegged item

cigs with the wrong tax stamp

why not across the border out here

on the res a carton that costs 70 bucks here

runs about 40 bucks

if you go with the native brands 22 bucks a carton

In places like NYC the fed tax is dwarfed by the local tax. You dont even have to go to an indian reservation, just load up in virginia, wait a few weeks to keep the cops off your hide, then drive the van or SUV up to NYC and go to any bodega in a crappy neighborhood. The locals will even figure out how to get the proper tax stamp on them, no work for you at all.

In places like NYC the fed tax is dwarfed by the local tax. You dont even have to go to an indian reservation, just load up in virginia,


yeah it is already happening has been for some time

a study was done in Chicago

the study found out that 70 percent 7 in 10

packs of smokes in the city had the wrong (cheaper boot legged) tax stamps on them

 

[martybegan]

Cigarette bootlegging is far easier and less costly than pot bootlegging would be.

it worries the ATF to no end

they are saying it is now the most bootlegged item

cigs with the wrong tax stamp

why not across the border out here

on the res a carton that costs 70 bucks here

runs about 40 bucks

if you go with the native brands 22 bucks a carton

In places like NYC the fed tax is dwarfed by the local tax. You dont even have to go to an indian reservation, just load up in virginia, wait a few weeks to keep the cops off your hide, then drive the van or SUV up to NYC and go to any bodega in a crappy neighborhood. The locals will even figure out how to get the proper tax stamp on them, no work for you at all.

In places like NYC the fed tax is dwarfed by the local tax. You dont even have to go to an indian reservation, just load up in virginia,


yeah it is already happening has been for some time

a study was done in Chicago

the study found out that 70 percent 7 in 10

packs of smokes in the city had the wrong (cheaper boot legged) tax stamps on them

never mind packs, the bodegas make a killing on "Loosies"

Pot will be easier to control because the number of stores allowed to sell it would be miniscule compared to the # of stores that cell cigs.

 

[TakeAStepBack]

Its still cheaper than the black market, by FAR. Quit talking out your asses. The black market isnt going to drop its prices in Col. Just to compete there when its still illegal in most states and making a KILLING.

No, it is not. The fact that growing it, and distributing it with far less criminal consequences will make the black market thrive and lower prices extensively. The state is now going to contend with the fact that individuals can grow up to 6 plants on their own without any penalty.

The sales tax is excessive and will push people to grow/trade/sell their wears outside the state taxation industry. They will have quality products at cheaper costs/prices than going to a dispensary and paying a 30% premium on wears.

I realize economics is a difficult subject, but good fuckin' grief, people.

 

[hangover]

If high tobacco taxes are such a great thing, how come everything isn't taxed at that rate?
I'm guessing it's because it's easier to tax a vilified minority than it is to tax a majority.

Yeah, that's pretty much the idea behind all the sin taxes.

The stoners get behind it because they see it as the best argument for getting it legalized.

Once it is legalized it will pit legal outlets right up against the cartels' established outlets. With any luck at all, we will be having a mexican style drug war right here, and maybe the cartels will be so kind as to take out 60,000 American dealers and users.

Trade war of a different kind.

And yet another stupid argument. Making it legal will take the profits away from the cartels, and there won't be any reason for them to smuggle it into the U.S..

 

[TakeAStepBack]

Discussing tobaccoo in conjunction with Marijuana is silly. Tobacoo plants do not grow natively or easily in north hemisphere climates. It's very difficult to grow. Therefore, people look to distributors and growers of the plant from other regions to import it.

"Weed", as it is called for good reason, can be grown in many climates and is not nearly as delicate a plant. People will grow their own weed in the back yard without a penalty and without a tax.

the state, and the people, just shot themselves in the foot on tax revenue from the product.

 

[martybegan]

Discussing tobaccoo in conjunction with Marijuana is silly. Tobacoo plants do not grow natively or easily in north hemisphere climates. It's very difficult to grow. Therefore, people look to distributors and growers of the plant from other regions to import it.

"Weed", as it is called for good reason, can be grown in many climates and is not nearly delicate a plant. People will grow their own weed in the back yard without a penalty and without a tax.

the state, and the people, just shot themselves in the foot on tax revenue from the product.

The state will do fine. A sizable portion of people will just put up with the tax for the convinence. If you have even 20% of the people growing thier own you still make out like a bandit. People will enjoy the ability to get product of a proven quality, with nice happy names, and be able to smoke it without worry of arrest. 25% tax is not much at all. If it were 100% i would see a concern, but the savings from not having the "criminal risk tax" is more than enough to make up for it.