As more states begin to consider reforming marijuana laws, legislators are struggling to sort fact from fiction in the marijuana debate. Fortunately, we've already made enough progress that we have plenty of practical experience studying the impact of marijuana reform.
Our friends at NORML have compiled this useful and revealing information in a new report, Real World Ramifications of Cannabis Legalization and Decriminalization. It's an excellent resource that ought to help any reasonable person understand why ending marijuana prohibition will make the world a better place.
Our friends at NORML have compiled this useful and revealing information in a new report, Real World Ramifications of Cannabis Legalization and Decriminalization. It's an excellent resource that ought to help any reasonable person understand why ending marijuana prohibition will make the world a better place.
Looking for the easiest way to join the anti-drug war movement? You've found it!
Cannabis legalization
If you live in WA state, help get I-1068 on the ballot this November. Register to vote and sign the petition. Go to http://sensiblewashington.org to find out where to sign, or how to volunteer. I-1068 will remove criminal and civil penalties for cannabis.
The real reason the feds won't legalize pot
Marijuana users, in effect, fuel their holy war. There are something like 13 million "drug abusers" in the US -- a national crisis. Take marijuana out of the picture, however, and the number shrinks from to approximately 3 million. The "drug scourge" becomes a non-issue and their multi-billion dollar national crusade becomes a sideshow. Even turning the full force of the war against the rest of us won't keep it going; there simply aren't enough of us.
Excessive taxation
I'm having a real problem with NORML's support of excessive taxation of legal marijuana.It seems like NORML ,in it's zeal to achieve their goal of legalization is selling out their supporters.For decades NORML has put forth the argument that legalization would cut out the black market.But just look at this video of NORML founder Keith Stroup actually suggesting that government charge $600 per ounce for legal marijuana...this will do nothing to cut out the black market.Excessive taxation is just a different form of punishment than jail time,marijuana use is not immoral and is not criminal behavior.The Harrison Act was an excessive tax,legal marijuana should cost no more than legal pipe tobacco.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLOSpaNmUB8
Man!
Just when everything sounds good, you have to throw a shoe in the works! Why is it so hard for politicians to know that increasing a tax on anything, too much, can create a black market?
There is a growing black market in cigarettes! Taxes have gotten so high. My family probably spends $400+, a month, on cigarettes. Most of that is the "sin" tax.
In WA State
To cover a huge (2.5 billion) shortfall (due to a 34% increase in government employees, services and budget by Gov. Gregoire) they are throwing out all sorts of new taxation ideas including a dollar a pack additional tax on cigarettes, taxing pop, candy and gum (never taxed in WA before) and others, even an income tax (which the voters have voted down more than once). Cigarettes already cost over $6 a pack now in WA (over $7 for some brands).
They always threaten to cut the services which the people want most and/or are most necessary, in order to get voters to fall in line, instead of cutting excessive administration personnel and/or salaries and benefits for government employees. The private sector has seen incomes and benefits decrease over the pst few years, why shouldn't government workers face the same kinds of decreases?
That income tax proposal is nose under the tent -- 1% on incomes over $250,000 will next year be on incomes over $100,000, and then $50,000; and then the percentage rate will start creeping up. That's the way the federal tax has become so onerous, and I fully expect this state tax to do the same.
I'm pro-choice on EVERYTHING!
Post new comment