Budgets/Taxes/Economics

Republican Lawmakers Shifting Tough-On-Crime Stance As State Budget Problems Multiply

In no state is the philosophical U-turn more abrupt than in Oklahoma, where last year the Legislature was barreling in the opposite direction. New Republican Speaker of the House Kris Steele is expected to unveil a package of proposals that would divert thousands of nonviolent lawbreakers from the prison system and ramp up paroles. Similar crash prison reductions are going on from coast to coast. Michigan has shuttered 20 correctional facilities and slashed spending by nearly 7 percent. South Carolina expects to reduce its inmate numbers by 8 percent by putting drug dealers, burglars and hot check writers into community programs instead of behind bars.

The Deadly Failure of Drug Policy in the Americas (Opinion)

Jeffrey Haire believes that our prohibitionist drug policy has failed and opines that removing the profit from drug trafficking organizations will effectively destroy them. He says the "Law enforcementâIndustrial complex" is already up and running and could handle any enforcement issues related to minors using adult substances or people operating vehicles or acting out in public. We have the expertise and the economic savvy to remove the profit from the drug traffickers and produce substances that are safe for recreational use. The key though, is to produce substances cheaply enough, and tax them reasonably so that their price still falls below what a black market producer could afford to market.

Massachusetts State Legislator Files Marijuana Legislation

Ellen Story, D-Amherst, responding to the 69 percent of the voters in her district who instructed her to vote "in favor of legislation that would allow the state to regulate and tax marijuana like alcohol" on Nov. 2, 2010, is sponsoring "An Act to Regulate and Tax the Cannabis Industry." Assigned House Docket Number 01091, it will receive a bill number in the near future. If enacted, the stateâs current prohibition upon adults having or growing a personal supply will be repealed, analogous to alcohol-control laws for home winemaking.

Former President Alejandro Toledo: Peru Must Consider Decriminalizing Drug Use

Former president Alejandro Toledo, the frontrunner in Peru's presidential race, said he would consider decriminalizing drug use if elected. Peru currently allows people to possess small amounts of recreational drugs, including cocaine. Toledo said he might loosen them further. A growing number of Latin American countries already have relaxed laws targeting drug consumers in order to focus police resources on traffickers.

Cut Drug War Spending (Action Alert)

Tell President Obama to stop wasting money on the failed war on drugs.

Email the President

Dear Friends,

In his State of the Union address a few days ago, President Obama said it is time for the federal government to tighten its belt and stop wasting so much money. One of the biggest – and most destructive – wastes of money is the war on drugs. President Obama is working on a new federal budget – urge him to stop wasting money on the failed war on drugs.

In these times of deficits and budget cuts, let’s send a clear message: no more money for marijuana arrests. No more money for laughably stupid anti-marijuana ads. No more money for random drug testing. No more money for SWAT raids on people's homes for suspected drug law violations. No more money for long prison sentences for low-level, nonviolent drug offenses. No more money for the drug war. Period.

Tell the President that our tax dollars should be spent more wisely.

With your help we can eliminate or cut drug war waste and dismantle the war on drugs. Please take a minute to write the White House and tell President Obama to stop wasting your tax dollars on failed drug policies.

Sincerely,

Bill Piper
Director, Office of National Affairs
Drug Policy Alliance

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne Recommends State Tax on Medical Marijuana

Attorney General Tom Horne announced a plan for Arizona to tax medical marijuana. Horne added that the Department of Revenue informed his office that they plan to take the advice and tax the sales. The taxes could yield revenues for the state in the approximate amount of $40 million per year, according to a report.

Seminar on Medical Marijuana Tax Issues

In an effort to get more owners of medical marijuana businesses to properly remit sales and use taxes, the city of Boulder, Colorado is hosting an informational seminar on marijuana taxes.

The seminar will focus on the city's tax rules as they pertain to medical marijuana businesses, and will include topics such as audits and tax returns.

The event requires reservations. To reserve a spot, call 303-441-4017.

State Senator: Should Indiana Legalize Marijuana?

A state senator is asking a question she hopes will spur debate over sentencing laws and possibly save Indiana millions of dollars: Should the state legalize marijuana? Sen. Karen Tallian, D- Portage, is sponsoring a bill that would direct the criminal law and sentencing study committee to examine Indiana's marijuana laws next summer and come up with recommendations. Senate Corrections Committee Chairman Brent Steele, R-Bedford, said he would give Tallian's proposal a legislative hearing.

Washington State Bill Proposes to Sell Marijuana Through State Liquor Stores

State Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, D-Seattle, is again proposing that the state legalize marijuana and regulate it much like alcohol. House Bill 1550, filed today, proposes that marijuana be sold through state liquor stores to adults aged 21 and over, and that the state Liquor Control Board issue licenses to commercial growers. Dickerson sponsored similar legislation in the previous legislative session, but the bill was voted down in the House Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee.

Know Your Drug Prohibition War: $15 Billion Will Be Spent by the Feds Alone in 2011

Here's a look at some highlights of how your dollars are being spent, from the Office of National Drug Control Policy's Drug Control Strategy 2011. Remember, they also hide several billion from the total by not including the cost of incarceration. Total drug prohibition war spending by the federal and various state governments will be approximately $69 billion.

Subscribe to Budgets/Taxes/Economics