Colorado Voters Overwhelmingly Approve Marijuana Tax

[RonPaulFanInGA]

Proposition AA (Tax Marijuana at 15% excise and 10% retail)

Yes/For: 345,008 (65.18%)
No/Against: 184,295 (34.82%)

[Danke]

I thought the state was asking for a bigger grab of the action than this.

[James Madison]

65.18% of Colorado voters are morons.

[kcchiefs6465]

Freedom.

[Keith and stuff]

Makes sense. Voters love to tax so called vices. So this means legal marijuana will cost more in CO than in WA? Well, legal alcohol will continue to cost much more in WA than in CO. You cannot win everything and voters and legislatures overwhelmingly approve vice tax increases so this is no surprise.

[Dary]

So the underground/black market will continue to thrive then?

[presence]

So when they report their income to the state, they include pot sales... when they report their income to the IRS ???

Fail.

[RonPaulFanInGA]

I thought the state was asking for a bigger grab of the action than this.

Well, this is just the first tax. Initial tobacco taxes weren't all that high either. Now what's a $1.00 pack of cigarettes cost you in New York City?

[Keith and stuff]

So the underground/black market will continue to thrive then?

I know people that make moonshine. I know people that roll tobacco. I know people that buy cigs in 1 state and take them to another. I know people that buy liquor in 1 state and take it to another. I know people that buy electronics in 1 state and take them to another. I know people that register autos outside of the state they live in to avoid certain fees. Yeah, the black market will be with us as long as the state is with us, and maybe even after that :(

[compromise]

Wait, so the Colorado marijuana voter block want to tax it?

Taxation is fence sitting, any more of this and you'll lose us as delegates.

[Keith and stuff]

According to Reason the state taxes start at 15% and 10% but what the voters approved allow the 10% to increase to 15% for a total of 30%. And in Denver, voters approved a local tax. "The tax is initially set at 3.5 percent, but the city council has leeway to raise it as high as 15 percent." If that's the case, the voters statewide voted for a 30% tax and the Denver voters voted for an additional 15% tax. So the voters in Denver voted for a 45% on marijuana. The vote in Denver was 69 percent to 31 percent. Boulder voters voted 67 percent to 33 percent to allow up to a total of a 40% in Boulder. If these increases are approved by city councils, people will drive to other towns to buy their marijuana. Similar to how many NYC folks buy their smokes outside of the city.

http://reason.com/blog/2013/11/06/voters-make-marijuana-colorados-most-hea

[Kelly.]

thats right, tax it higher for all i care, all that will happen is it will be driven back partially underground. the craiglist businesses will be [are] thriving


also, wonder if the cites/counties that banned the sale of cannabis (recreational marijuana as its called here) will get a cut of the money??

[Romulus]

A block of it goes to fund schools. Its a 'feel good tax' and seeing as how the majority prob does not smoke, they are all to glad to make the 'pothead' pay for it.

They can't bitch though... you can legally grow 6 plants.

[kcchiefs6465]

A block of it goes to fund schools. Its a 'feel good tax' and seeing as how the majority prob does not smoke, they are all to glad to make the 'pothead' pay for it.

They can't bitch though... you can legally grow 6 plants.
Depending the set up, six plants may hold a person over between seasons. (a constant garden growing)

The price of marijuana is artificially high as a result. (which is their intention.. [as it's being taxed]) I wonder if someone can take their family land, parcel off a plot and grow 50 acres of marijuana? Well then it would encroach on the government's cut. No doubt such "troublemakers" would be the ones offered as lambs to the DEA. Politicized "justice", I mean punishment-- being sentenced to a couple dozen years. You know, to show other "outlaws" that such a "crime" will not be tolerated.

Legal, my ass. They're still ruining lives on DUI laws, creating a subclass of "outlaws" taxed without a care of their representation. It is good that minor infractions aren't impeding lives. (at least, the minor infraction of possessing marijuana) Far cry from freedom, though.

[kcchiefs6465]

Depending the set up, six plants may hold a person over between seasons. (a constant garden growing)

ETA: Come to think about it, no it wouldn't. As you could only have three babies and three matures. (in your constant garden) A few ounces a piece, a half pound per three and half months... that's about a gram and a half a day. If you live by yourself, perhaps. A gram a day isn't really that much, though. Aside from the point that you may have a bad crop. If that were the case, you'd rely on government taxed weed. Which soon, no doubt, will be pesticized and mandated to be "fire safe compliant."

[dillo]

Cant wait to get that good Monsanto weed

[Fredom101]

So the underground/black market will continue to thrive then?

Exactly. It's actually already that way in CO. "Legalization and regulation" is a joke. Legalize, do NOT regulate. Otherwise, nothing much changes. Get a crappy expensive product from government-approved sources, or get what you want at a cheaper price.

Government=FAIL once again.

[kcchiefs6465]

Exactly. It's actually already that way in CO. "Legalization and regulation" is a joke. Legalize, do NOT regulate. Otherwise, nothing much changes. Get a crappy expensive product from government-approved sources, or get what you want at a cheaper price.

Government=FAIL once again.
Well "fail" is subjective and of course reliant on the objective. (whether the objective is what is being "sold" to the public or not)

I'll have to check on the taxes brought in. I imagine they are, or will soon be, quite lucrative. Many gangsters have tried the same. That is, "taxing", those who deal in "their" neighborhoods.

I suspect, that if you look at their objectives, they've succeeded in every aspect. That is: Placate the people, siphon prosperity through extended, while alleging extenuated, circumstances, while at the while maintaining themselves as the bearer of "law."

They're quite happy with the compromise. Those who don't compromise to the extortion are offered as lambs. Then they are further offered as an example.

Sounds like freedom.

[speciallyblend]

grow your own, buy local over the state, support your local grower. you can bypass this tax by getting medical card or supporting your local grower. many people were confused thinking it was a 8% tax. either way doesn't change the fact folks will buy on the street or get a medical card or grow your own to bypass this tax. In 2016 expect some of these folks who supported this to be removed when more folks vote. This bill was brought up by anti-marijuana folks and they will feel the backlash just like the anti-gun folks did depending on counties. none of this applies to medical only personal.

ps off election year as usual, so no surprise there, both parties like to push and try to reverse what voters have done in off election years knowing more folks show in national elections then off years.

[Working Poor]

So the underground/black market will continue to thrive then?

I think so.

[oyarde]

Sin taxes are immoral .Taxing selected people and not others is a poor spirit indeed.....

[Fredom101]

Well "fail" is subjective and of course reliant on the objective. (whether the objective is what is being "sold" to the public or not)

I'll have to check on the taxes brought in. I imagine they are, or will soon be, quite lucrative. Many gangsters have tried the same. That is, "taxing", those who deal in "their" neighborhoods.

I suspect, that if you look at their objectives, they've succeeded in every aspect. That is: Placate the people, siphon prosperity through extended, while alleging extenuated, circumstances, while at the while maintaining themselves as the bearer of "law."

They're quite happy with the compromise. Those who don't compromise to the extortion are offered as lambs. Then they are further offered as an example.

Sounds like freedom.


Right, I meant that government failed the people. Who cares about their agenda? It's never what it may appear.

[klamath]

Unfortunately this is just like the gay marriage issue. The better course would have been better to remove the taxes on other products altogether but like getting the government out of gay marriage the argument goes..."well since that group is getting special priviledges then we should get it too." Same argument I heard for forcing gay marriage rights on the state of california.

[presence]

So what about pot brownies? Does one pay the 15% on all the other ingredients too? Or just state taxes on the brownie... then an additional 15% on the grass in it? Yeah, stoners selling ganga goodies they made last night are going to take the time to do the accounting on that.

[RonPaulFanInGA]

Sin taxes are immoral .Taxing selected people and not others is a poor spirit indeed.....

Really? As far as taxes go, that's the best kind of tax. It's completely optional. If you don't like it, simply don't buy the thing associated with it.

[kcchiefs6465]

Really? As far as taxes go, that's the best kind of tax. It's completely optional. If you don't like it, simply don't buy the thing associated with it.
Right.

And so long as a majority approve of it, it's Just. I mean, who really cares about smokers? Let's tax them fifty bucks a pack and call it freedom. Then we can hire a bunch of people from the money we take to make sure no one is getting around the tax. Prisons for those who attempt to is only right. But who will pay the guards? Better tax some other minority. I select the rich. Fuck em... they're rich, right? So they can pay for the guards who watch the people who naturally tried to avoid paying fees on a product that can be found cheaper elsewhere. But the rich might have some ideas as well. We'll need to hire another bunch of agents to monitor their finances... a system in place which registers flags for suspicious tax-evasion behaviors.

Do you even know the definition of tyranny? The fuck are you smoking to think that a majority opinion of manipulable societal whims dictating who should pay what is legitimate.. or as you put it, "'the best kind' [of tax]"? And you justify it as, "simply don't buy the thing associated with it"!? Are you serious? I mean, it's hard to even wrap my head around that one.

I'd move to the mountains if I weren't so sure that before long your ilk would follow me there to tax the air I breathe. Your sentiment depresses me. I think I'm cut a little bit different than you. I understand that your attitude is the majority opinion, but it still is disappointing to read.. especially here, of all places.

[KurtBoyer25L]

Slightly off topic question. Does anyone know, if you're traveling through can you buy retail herb w/ an out-of-state ID?

[Keith and stuff]

Just to view, in the largest city in CO, voters voted to approve taxes that are now set at 38% but that will go up to 45%. What else has a 45% tax on it? Heck, even the strongest alcohol sold where I live has zero state or local tax on it.

[kcchiefs6465]

Just to view, in the largest city in CO, voters voted to approve taxes that are now set at 38% but that will go up to 45%. What else has a 45% tax on it? Heck, even the strongest alcohol sold where I live has zero state or local tax on it.
Tobacco has a 250% tax. Even in your state.

Not to mention it has multiple layers of carpet glue to ensure they go out, as per a government mandate, if they aren't be constantly puffed.

But the majority approve of it, so it's okay.

[RonPaulFanInGA]

Do you even know the definition of tyranny? The fuck are you smoking to think that a majority opinion of manipulable societal whims dictating who should pay what is legitimate.. or as you put it, "'the best kind' [of tax]"? And you justify it as, "simply don't buy the thing associated with it"!? Are you serious? I mean, it's hard to even wrap my head around that one.

I'd move to the mountains if I weren't so sure that before long your ilk would follow me there to tax the air I breathe. Your sentiment depresses me. I think I'm cut a little bit different than you. I understand that your attitude is the majority opinion, but it still is disappointing to read.. especially here, of all places.

Yeesh, talk about a drama queen.

[kcchiefs6465]

Yeesh, talk about a drama queen.
You are an authoritarian.

Not only do I find the concept personally annoying and inherently immoral, you are perpetuating statist talking points to further tyrannize a minority. And then you justify it simply as if it is their fault because they choose to use the product. I hope that shit comes right back around to you, you double talking, spineless, conviction lacking fraud.

[Keith and stuff]

I'd move to the mountains if I weren't so sure that before long your ilk would follow me there to tax the air I breathe. Your sentiment depresses me. I think I'm cut a little bit different than you. I understand that your attitude is the majority opinion, but it still is disappointing to read.. especially here, of all places.

Check out the White Mountains of NH. No income, sales or property tax. A bunch of other no taxes either like gambling (but where to gamble), estate, incoherence, business inventory (but what business?), internet (but how to make a connection?), cigar (but where to by smokes?)... There are also no stores and such. The government won't bother you, either. But, just about no one lives there because people don't want to live without government programs like plowed roads. Still, you could leave in the winter and stay on my couch ;)

I still don't think a single fsper has moved there. I'm looking for the first and please, spread the word.