Schwarzenegger open to studying marijuana tax idea

[the other one]

Source: LATimes


Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says California should study other nations’ experiences in legalizing and taxing marijuana, although he is not supporting the idea.

He says it’s time to debate proposals such as a bill introduced in the Legislature earlier this year that would treat marijuana like alcohol. Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, a San Francisco Democrat, says taxing marijuana at $50 per ounce would bring more than $1 billion a year to the state.

Schwarzenegger said during a Tuesday news conference that “it’s time for debate” on the idea. But he warned against making harmful decisions just for the sake of raising money.

He said some other nations have had negative experiences. Ammiano’s bill is on hold in the Legislature. He delayed seeking approval until next year.

Read more: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/05/schwarzenegger-open-to-studying-marijuana-tax-idea.html

[Duer 157099]

1. Holy crap! Tax at $50/oz?? That was the actual price when I was a kid

How much do ounces go for nowadays anyway??? How can anyone afford to buy it??

[wtbymark]

2. round 250 for the diggidy

[Betsy Ross]

8. I once got a Prince Albert "lid" for

$10. I'm as old as cheap pot!

[Cha]

11. That's a funny way to put it!

LOL.. I guess I am too and might have to borrow your witticism in the future:D

[Duer 157099]

16. Me too, I forgot about the early early days. $10 and $20 lids

$20 was for the Colombian

[nichomachus]

28. Wow -- I must be real old

I remember "nickel bags" for $5 and "dime bags" for $10.

[DebbieCDC]

21. Me too Betsy

It was $20/lid when I first started "experimenting"

[dogfacedboy]

35. WOW! Haven't heard the word "lid" in a long, long time! n/t

[mike_c]

13. I remember $20 ozs....

Of course it was shwag that you couldn't give away today. We're currently paying about $300 for an ounce of top quality, trimmed, uber dank Humboldt indoor bud-- but an oz lasts for a good long time. We smoke a couple of pinches at a time. My GF and I buy about two, two-and-a-half ozs annually, maybe three in a fun year. That's $600-$900 or thereabouts annually, or $50-$75 monthly. Since we don't have much of an entertainment budget otherwise, I figure that's less than the cost of cable TV most places, and certainly less than the cost of regular alcohol consumption, even if moderate.

And it's worth every dime, IMO. :smoke:

[droidamus2]

40. Hey..

I was born and raised in Humboldt at least your spending your money on the good stuff.

[Lucky Luciano]

18. Weed is a good deal more potent now. One or two puffs more than suffices...

though I have not smoked in years.

[proud progressive]

25. come-on, whippersnappers, am i the only one who remembers a 'nickle bag'?

$5, that is. of course, it took an entire j to get you off!

[droidamus2]

41. Yeah

Tell us, how much of that nickle bag was seeds and stems?

[polichick]

3. Shouldn't that be $5 per ounce?

[Taverner]

4. Grow your own and its $10 a lb

[tridim]

22. I get your point, but $10 per lb? Come on.

;)

$10 per ounce, maybe.

[kestrel91316]

5. I only want it taxed if it's fully legal and nonprescription. If it's a prescription-only

thing then, like medications, IT MUST NOT BE TAXED. Dumbass Gropenator.

[Revolution9]

14. i think that is what they are studying

what else would they have to study?

[IntravenousDemilo]

6. The only way one would be able to tax it would be if marijuana were legalized altogether.

But if they legalize it, it will obviously also have to be kosher to grow your own, in which case you wouldn't be paying any taxes on it.

[Dramarama]

7. Arnold has come along way.

[Betsy Ross]

9. Should be no tax when Rx. n/t

[Ikonoklast]

10. Pretty stiff tariff for something you could grow on your own.

Maybe there will be an tax exemption like there is on home-brewing for personal consumption.

I could see large-scale hemp farming be a huge industry in this country if we ever get our heads out of our asses. Hemp oil is an excellent raw material for biodiesel, burns cleaner with less particulate matter, NO2 emissions, and is renewable.

[tridim]

23. Home-grown should definitely not be taxed

Taxes are about commerce, not growing herbs for yourself.

[12string]

27. You just articulated the very reason

hemp became illegal in the first place.It never was about getting high.It was all about the money the petro-chemical companies were afraid of losing.Reefer Madness was corporate lobbying at its best.

[Politicalboi]

12. He said some other nations have had negative experiences.

What other nations? I have only heard positive reactions. And harmful decisions just for the sake of raising money????? Make Alcohol illegal and make a good decision for the people. Like any Repuke would have a conscience on making money.

[droidamus2]

42. Careful

That's where you have to be careful about the rhetoric they use. Even in countries that have tried legalization or decriminalization and it has shown not to raise consumption levels or crime you still have politicians that see being 'hard on drugs' as their way to show they are 'hard on crime'. These politicians are the same as the anti-pot, DEA types here that will lie and make up stuff just to try to convince those in the public that have no direct experience with pot that smoking pot is the worst thing you could ever do.

[jaysunb]

15. At the current cost of aprox $400.00

we are already paying 8.5% or roughly $34.00 per ounce. So if you open up the stores for everyone, you'd really see a boom in tax revenue and a big decrease in the cost of incarcerating 15% of those doing state time.

It's coming...way late, but coming.

[underpants]

17. Aaaah yeaaah

[xchrom]

19. recommend

[sarcasmo]

20. If it's the good Government bud, it would be worth that price.

[taught_me_patience]

24. An ounce goes a long way these days

It'd probably last me over three years.

[downindixie]

26. Here in Alabama,I seldom see hybrid weed

All we have is mexican weed and homegrown.Its usually $120 an ounce.Sometimes it better than usual.Even if it was primo stuff,we couldn't afford it.I order some primo seeds from Canada once,but none of them germanated.

[JonLP24]

31. LOL other states sell high

Here in Arizona it's about $60-$80 for regular run of the mill weed. Washington state prices however is high but much better overall then Arizona.

[Tab]

29. Yeah, I bet he has

No secret if you watched "Carnival in Rio"...

[OKNancy]

30. kick

[Turborama]

32. Schwarzenegger Urges a Study on Legalizing Marijuana Use

Source: NYT

LOS ANGELES — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Tuesday that the discussion over whether to legalize and tax marijuana for recreational use in California would benefit from a large-scale study, including international case comparisons, to show the possible impact of such a change.

Pressure to mend the state’s fractured budget along with growing public support of marijuana legalization moved him to support such a study, Mr. Schwarzenegger said.

“I think it’s time for a debate,” he said. “I think all of those ideas of creating extra revenues; I’m always for an open debate on it. And I think we ought to study very carefully what other countries are doing that have legalized marijuana and other drugs. What effect did it have on those countries?”

A Field Poll from April showed 56 percent of the state’s registered voters in support of legalizing and taxing marijuana for recreational use to fill some of the budget deficit. Mr. Schwarzenegger told reporters at a fire-safety event in Davis, Calif., that he did not support sweeping legalization, but that more information would help.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/07/us/07arnold.html?_r=1&ref=us

[JonLP24]

33. That article reminds me of this picture

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

34. "Studying." Haven't heard that euphemism before.

Live and learn.

[Orsino]

36. Shorthand for "don't hold your breath." n/t

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

37. Au contraire.

I think it means "Held my breath."

[Zhade]

38. It's time to re-legalize this medically-proven beneficial herb.

NT!

[tomhayes]

39. Decriminalize? YES Profit motive? NO!

I'm all for decriminalizing marajuana, but the idea to use it as a tax-cash crop is looney to me.

We've spent 30 years (or more) villianizing it and then we want to TAX it?

Just decriminalize it and forget the tax part.