SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - California tax officials say a state proposal to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol would generate nearly $1.4 billion in revenue.
A State Board of Equalization report released Wednesday estimates marijuana retail sales would bring $990 million from a $50-per-ounce fee and $392 million in sales taxes.
As the bill is written, the state could not begin collecting taxes under the bill until the federal government legalizes marijuana.
A spokesman says Ammiano,the bill sponsor, plans to amend the bill to remove that provision.
Today is Average Day of First Freeze in Montgomery
21 hours ago
7 comments:
$50/ oz. ? That's kind of a high tax. It needs to be low enough to keep black market out of it.
Agreed sixstring. I was just about to amend the post and add my own commentary that would have said the exact same thing.
The one thing in the bill that might thwart the black market is that people would be allowed to grow their own. I wonder if the state would tax home grown and if so how would they do it? With a $50 an ounce surcharge I would damn sure be growing my own.
I would prefer to legally grow my own over any scenario, and i wouldn't be surprised if it was what most people want to do anyway. I feel like the $50 tax could be a whole lot worse. I mean if it allows me to not lose my job of three years due to drug testing (as I did a week ago), cost me thousands in legal fee's, or my freedom if I'm caught in possession. I'll gladly slide 50 bucks Uncle Sams way just so He will stay out of my business.
would suck terribly if I had to move from Alabama to California.
I mean, I would miss the backwards conservative racists oh so much!
BigSamoan840,
Yeah, 50 bucks would be a small price to pay to stay out the criminal justice system. Unfortunately, legalization will not stop some employers from firing a person who smoked a joint last weekend, on their own time. People in California have been fired for using legal medical marijuana. This is not only morally wrong, it's stupid and counterproductive.
Perhaps if it was legal, even with the $50/oz tax, it would be cheaper than it is now. That would keep the black market out of it.
State would not tax homegrown-
"As introduced, AB 390 would not impose taxation or licensing requirements on the non-commercial production of cannabis (up to ten mature plants), or on the not-for-profit distribution of pot. Further, the bill would not alter existing legislation on the use of medicinal cannabis, nor would it impose new taxes or sanctions on the medical cultivation of cannabis."
Follow up on BigSomaon's point above:
From Oct, 2008-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Wednesday vetoed a bill that would have protected medical marijuana patients from being fired from their jobs for testing positive for pot on a drug test.
We need to try to have some kind of employment protection in any law we may one day pass here in Alabama, whether it be legalization or just medical.
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