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If marijuana were to be legalized for recreational use, it would raise nearly $1.4 billion for the California, announced a state tax board yesterday. The numbers were from an analysis of a bill, AB390, introduced earlier this year by San Francisco Assemblymember Tom Ammiano.
Under the legislation, which was originally estimated to raise around $1 billion, those aged 21 and over could purchase marijuana for recreational use. It would be sold with a $50 per ounce fee in addition to sales taxes. Based on that structure, here's what the California State Board of Equalization said in their report:
- $990 million would be raised from the $50/ounce fee and would fund drug education and rehabilitation programs.
- $392 million in sales taxes would be raised.
- The two above numbers are "based on the estimated 16 million ounces of annual consumption in California and several assumptions," states the report.
- Those "assumptions" were drawn "law enforcement estimates and academic studies." Translation: the estimated 16 million ounces includes illegal use.
- The outcomes of the "assumptions" include the street price of marijuana decreasing by 50% and consumption increasing by 40%. But to confuse the issue, the report next says "the imposition of the $50/ounce tax would then lead to reduced consumption of 11 percent."
- They also cites "a 'substitution effect' toward marijuana and away from cigarettes and alcohol," therefore less taxes collected on the latter products.
- If passed, the law would allow for people to grow up to 10 marijuana plants, but would have a minimal effect on revenue, according to the report.
Anything left out? "Not included are savings in law enforcement costs for investigating, arresting, prosecuting, and imprisoning marijuana offenders, which are estimated to total some hundreds of millions per year," states a press release from the California Chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
To read the full state analysis, it is embedded below:
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How much does an ounce on the street cost now? Much more than $50?
"more than $50?"
Yep even cheap Mexican swag goes for more than $50 per oz.
I haven't bought off the black market in some time, but as I remember an oz. of good hydroponically grown bud would go for $350 to $700, cheap swag from Mexico $150 to $200 an oz.
I doubt these taxes would see a reduce in consumption. Most people at medical pharmacy's purchase 1/8ths, so with a $50/oz tax that will just add $5 to the price. I've even seen some popular strains go down by $5-$10 in price because of increase competition between growers & pharmacies.
First of all, I think there's a big difference between marijuana for recreational use and marijuana for medical use.
Currently there is no legal framework for taxing recreationl use other than it being illegal. A lot needs to happen before they can even consider imposing a $50 per ounce tax on recreational marijuana. So any talk of taxing recreational marijuana is all pretty much putting the cart before the horse.
Throwing a $50 an ounce tax on medical marijuana would be unfair to many people who are already disabled and on fixed incomes. I know some who are already rationing themselves because they are barely able to afford to pay $50 for an eighth to get them through a week of chemothreapy along with all the other drugs they have to buy.
Yet, if this were put into place, what would organized crime do to offset all *their* loss in revenue?
(for the context impaired, insert joking intonation...)
Yes, but what about the prison industrial complex? What are they going to do when they don't have as many prisoners to exploit?
Excellent point. Me thinks the prison lobby will spend mucho dinero to make sure it doesn't happen. They'll run ads that say "Teachers will force your kids to smoke pot while attending their gay weddings!"
That's the benefit of cultural propaganda for ya. They could actually *say* that and the sheeple would *cower* instead of diffusing the faulty logic.
Sensible people need a *formidable* noise machine.
Alas, if you were to say, hey let's regulate and tax to rein in the alcohol related deaths... They'd froth and say:
"Why do you hate liberty!? Rampant alcohol swilling and it's frequent violent and negligent effects are supported by god and the constitution!"
LOL Good one polaroidgirl!
Legalize it!