cannabisnews.com: A Neglected Revenue Source for CA - Marijuana





A Neglected Revenue Source for CA - Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on January 12, 2009 at 20:38:30 PT
By F. Aaron Smith
Source: San Francisco Chronicle 
San Francisco, CA --  Only if you lived in a cave could you avoid news about California's dire financial situation. The governor and legislators still disagree about what to do, but all of the proposals aimed at closing the state's $42 billion budget gap are painful and politically unpopular. One obvious way to take a big chunk out of the deficit - without closing schools or putting the sick and elderly out on the streets - hasn't even been discussed. Tax marijuana.
New sin taxes are likely going to be part of the solution to our financial woes. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed a nickel-per-drink alcohol tax increase last year. More recently, Assemblyman Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch, introduced legislation to tack on an additional $2.10 per pack in cigarette taxes. Yet marijuana, California's largest cash crop, is completely untaxed. The marijuana crop is valued at $13.8 billion annually - nearly double the value of our vegetable and grape crops combined. Our state is the nation's top marijuana producer. Indeed, the average annual value of our marijuana crop is more than the combined value of wheat and cotton produced in the entire United States.According to government surveys, 14.5 million Americans use marijuana at least monthly but both the producers and consumers of this crop escape paying any taxes whatsoever on it. While precise figures are impossible given the illicit nature of the market, it is reasonable to suggest that California could easily collect at least $1.5 billion and maybe as much as $4 billion annually in additional tax revenue, if we took marijuana out of the criminal underground and taxed and regulated it, similar to how handle beer, wine and tobacco.Marijuana prohibition costs us in other ways as well. Snipped   Complete Article: http://drugsense.org/url/2WWnodsFSource: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)Author: F. Aaron SmithPublished: Monday, January 12, 2009Copyright: 2009 San Francisco Chronicle Contact: letters sfchronicle.comWebsite: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/ CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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Comment #21 posted by FoM on January 16, 2009 at 09:22:42 PT
Hope: Marijuana Nation
I liked this documentary because it seemed current and didn't mention any organizations that I recall. Most people don't know about organizations but the show was good. Organizations have their own agendas and that's ok but their agendas might not be how others see it. Marc Emery was in Marijuana Nation but he wasn't representing any Organization. http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/explorer/3821/Overview
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Comment #20 posted by Hope on January 16, 2009 at 08:58:03 PT
Marijuana, Inc.
Is there an interview with Jack Herer in the program? LEAP? NORML? Marijuana Policy Project?
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Comment #19 posted by Hope on January 16, 2009 at 08:55:37 PT
Is Now The Time To Legalize Drugs?
http://www.cnbc.com/id/28672671This isn't reefer madness or encouraging it. It's saying maybe the emperor really is rudely nude. I think.I fear the special, Marijuana, Inc. is saying, "Well of course the emperor is well clothed. He just needs more to look even better."
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Comment #18 posted by FoM on January 16, 2009 at 07:43:28 PT
Hope
I clicked on the link to check for you and it started to play for me. 
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Comment #17 posted by Hope on January 16, 2009 at 07:38:48 PT
Marijuana, Inc.
This is going to be coverage of the present and past black market, isn't it? John Walters and "Line em up and shoot em" Gates are going to love it... aren't they?My dial up is struggling and I can't find anything that makes any sense including the video below at youtube that says it's been removed.
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Comment #16 posted by Hope on January 15, 2009 at 16:00:21 PT
  Ok
Thank you, FoM.
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on January 15, 2009 at 15:32:38 PT
Hope
The link from Youtube is the same one that is on CNBC. It's a trailer for Marijuana Inc.http://cannabisnews.com/news/24/thread24429.shtml#2
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Comment #14 posted by Hope on January 15, 2009 at 15:20:10 PT
Comment 13
Has anyone watched it?I'm hesitant about clicking on it."Marijuana friends"?Seems like I've been scolded at some time or another in my life with some similar words.Anyway, I might not be able to watch it anyway. I can't get anything to load today. Not the Neil Young stuff. Not Museman's of his son's. It seems like it started slowing down yesterday.Anyway.Has anyone else watched this you tube thing?
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Comment #13 posted by cvmg1969 on January 15, 2009 at 03:02:33 PT:
Marijuana, Inc.
"Marijuana, Inc." a one hour documentary will be aired on CNBC this month. It will be January 22nd and 25th, at 9:00 AM and 1:00 AM (EST). Meanwhile, it would be nice for all the marijuana friends getting this to go to the You Tube video and leave a positive comment on this subject, which you can do by going to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUQOQyNx-rU – that is of course – if you have something positive to say. 
Send this to everyone on your email list for them to add their positive comments on this subject also. 
Marijuana, Inc.
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on January 13, 2009 at 20:59:14 PT
mykeyb420 
I have a hard time looking back because it's way more important to look ahead. I hope all those bad times are behind us now.
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Comment #11 posted by mykeyb420 on January 13, 2009 at 20:41:50 PT
fom
I stand corrected.
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on January 13, 2009 at 19:43:12 PT
mykeyb420
I think Asa Hutchinson was the head of the DEA but not a Drug Czar. Many things escape my memory around 9-11 but Governor Johnson and Hutchinson were debating or were going to debate when 9-11 happened I remember.
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Comment #9 posted by mykeyb420 on January 13, 2009 at 19:31:32 PT
comment #5
FOM
 I think after McCaffery,,there was Asa Hutchinson,, ( Asa is Japanese for HEMP ,, ) Then there came Walters,,
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on January 13, 2009 at 10:53:17 PT
Sam
I never heard that Bush wanted to do away with the Drug Czar but that was 8 years ago and maybe he did say that. It doesn't seem logical for a Republican to do away with controlling people. You know sin and morality and all that. The religious right is tough.
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on January 13, 2009 at 10:49:03 PT
Sam
Everyone was up in arms about Ramstad and then we get more of Bush. I hope Obama does away with having a Drug Czar.
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Comment #6 posted by Sam Adams on January 13, 2009 at 10:42:27 PT
czar
maybe Walters can't handle reporting to Obama for a few months. If I recall, in 2001 the Bush Admin was actually talking about eliminating drug czar as a cabinet-level position, weren't they? Maybe it could actually happen under Obama.Someday the govt. WILL have to learn to contract and shrink like business during down times, or our economy will surely collapse.
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on January 13, 2009 at 10:18:16 PT
Paul
Thank you. Did McCaffrey remain active until Walters was made Drug Czar? I really can't recall. I want to know why we have to have a Drug Czar that Bush has picked and why someone new instead of Walters?
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Comment #4 posted by paul armentano on January 13, 2009 at 10:03:07 PT
Ironically enough...
Walter's first scheduled confirmation hearing was the morning of Sept. 11. I remember it vividly, as I was at the Capitol when it was evacuated.
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Comment #3 posted by paul armentano on January 13, 2009 at 10:01:44 PT
Walter's appointment
Walters wasn't confirmed until about Nov/December 2001. I believe he was picked by Bush sometime around June/July 2001 (perhaps even earlier). Obviously, Sept. 11 delayed his confirmation hearings, but there was also little movement on his appointment prior to Sept.
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on January 13, 2009 at 05:54:07 PT
The New Bush Drug Czar
Does anyone remember if Bush appointed his Drug Czar before he was sworn in? If Obama hasn't found a Drug Czar yet why didn't Walters stay the Drug Czar until Obama finds one he likes?
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on January 12, 2009 at 21:03:04 PT
Bush Appoints Interim Drug Czar
Speculation about Obama’s as yet unknown choice for drug czar just got a little more interesting. Today, the White House announced that ONDCP’s acting Deputy Director Patrick Ward will be promoted to acting director. In other words, the much-anticipated next drug czar will be… Patrick Ward.http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle_blog/2009/jan/12/bush_appoints_interim_drug_czar
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