Posted on 09/03/2014 7:13:28 AM PDT by rktman
High hopes for tax money isn’t as expected as the state’s legal marijuana industry isn’t bringing in as much money as anticipated. In fact, tax revenue is way below expectations.
When voters approved recreational marijuana sales the state predicted it would pull in more than $33 million in new taxes in the first six months. The actual revenue came up more than $21 million short.
The problem is that buying pot is less expensive on the streets where people don’t have to pay taxes or fees.
Medical marijuana is also less expensive than recreational pot, so those with medical cards are sticking to buying that way.
(Excerpt) Read more at denver.cbslocal.com ...
The fight is about reducing the size and influence of the government in all our lives.
Are less people having their doors kicked in? Are less people having their assets forfeited? Are we housing less non-violent people in prison? Can we reduce the government's ability to poke into people's bank accounts or paychecks?
That's how I'll judge the success of changes in law. Does it shrink and neuter the government and the lackeys who worship it's power?
Revenue generation?! Who cares?!
At that point, there will be even fewer jobs in the area. Insurance costs will skyrocket for companies choosing to do business there.
Probably so.
But this is the way of liberaltarians and their immoral goals to allow “anything goes”.
The end result is MORE of our freedoms are used, abused and taken away.
See tagline. Pro-dopers and libertarians SUCK.
Pfffffttt! Alchohol leads to ruined lives, addiction & harder drugs. It should be made illegal.
(/sarc)
More dopers freeloading in Mom’s basement unable to pass a drug test to get a job.
Here the accident rate from stoned drivers has quadrupled since pot became semi legal.
Perhaps cops will shake down smokers anyways. Show us your official weed tax stamp citizen. No tax stamp ? Oh, we have a problem.
Yep, your local police team NEEDS armored cars and a SWAT team with machine guns to keep the peace because those pot heads are so violent.
I think the government has finally found a way to get people to stop smoking pot. Legalize it and subject it to government regulation and tax.
No, they are just busting them down for other reasons. They still have to justify their numbers.
For the moment, this might be yes. However, as all this spending has occurred based upon false tax hopes, they will be raising other taxes to cover their new debt.
No. They were not imprisoning the stoners, simply fining them in most cases. The dealers, more likely part of the violent crowd, are now less likely to be jailed.
No. None of this returns any privacy.
Well, last report I read was they are passing new laws (bigger government) and doing more research and studies (bigger government) to watch and see the effects of driving while stoned.
Having done all that - what is the result of the liberaltarian goal to freely smoke dope?
(bigger government)
I know, it's an early salvo though.
When we reduce their excuses for why they "have to" have such intrusive powers, perhaps then we can return to being secure against unreasonable searches and seizures in our persons, houses, papers, and effects.
Scaling down the WOD is a start. Flattening, or eliminating, income taxes is the big battle.
You betcha.
Won’t the pro-dope/legal weed crowd be surprised when the SWAT teams bust down their doors and shoot their dogs in an effort to be sure the dope they are smoking has that tax seal?
Idiot libertardians think legal weed will solve the Polce State problem?
Man, they must be stoned! More taxes means bigger government means a bigger police force.
Ha ha ha... Put that in your (pot) pipe and smoke it.
By virtue of it being legal the prices are lower than street prices.
They probably used the street prices for their tax expectations.
Pretty funny....
Its not like legal gambling that requires casinos that cannot operate illegally in practice, at least not so that they can compete..
Making it legal makes it even easier to buy it illegally without paying the taxes.
And it takes up less room than tobacco does relative to use/demand, so even easier to pirate. Alcohol is that hardest.
Do these two sentences contradict each other?
The problem is that buying pot is less expensive on the streets where people don’t have to pay taxes or fees.
Medical marijuana is also less expensive than recreational pot, so those with medical cards are sticking to buying that way.
Raising taxes isn’t the left’s motive in this anyway, they don’t like it that more minorities get arrested for possession than whites do.(probably caught selling)
Teh police state is fueled by asset forfeiture laws that allow the police to seize your property on the mere suspicion that it is linked to illegal drug activity. Uncounted thousands of innocent people have lost property because the cops SUSPECTED illegal activity. This is blatantly in violation of the Fourth Amendment yet YOU claim that this helps you be free? Want to see how free you are, just try to buy an airline ticket with cash and then walk through the metal detectors with $5000 cash on you. I guarantee you that your money will be taken from you and you won’t be charged with anything. Is THAT the kind of “freedom” you want?
In addition to that some of the same people who will rejoice at the black (free) market causing NYC's declining cigarette tax revenue act as though the same effect on Colorado's pot tax revenue is some sort of failure.
Just more proof that government involvement is bad for any business or free people.
“Recreational Pot Not Bringing In Tax Money That Was Expected”
Completely predictable, which I did on another site at the beginning of the year. Some Stoner got all indignant when I said due to the high taxes Black market / Cartels would adjust their price / increase the quality accordingly to undercut Colorado’s legal weed.
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