Thread: Calif tax officials: Legal pot would rake in $1.4B

Calif tax officials: Legal pot would rake in $1.4B

The Associated Press
3:20 p.m. July 15, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO — California tax officials say a state proposal to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol would generate nearly $1.4 billion in revenue.

A State Board of Equalization report released Wednesday estimates marijuana retail sales would bring $990 million from a $50-per-ounce fee and $392 million in sales taxes.

The bill introduced by San Francisco Democratic Assemblyman Tom Ammiano in February would allow adults to legally possess, grow and sell marijuana.

Ammiano has promoted the bill as a way to help bridge the state's $26.3 billion budget shortfall.

As the bill is written, the state could not begin collecting taxes under the bill until the federal government legalizes marijuana.

A spokesman says Ammiano plans to amend the bill to remove that provision.

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/ ... dex=132611

Marijuana is America's Number One Cash Crop

Drug War Chronicle, 12/22/06
A study released Monday finds that marijuana is now the nation's biggest cash crop, with the value of the annual harvest exceeding that of corn, soybeans or hay -- the country's top three legal cash crops. The study, conducted by public policy analyst and former NORML head Jon Gettman, used official government figures to arrive at an estimate that the annual pot crop is worth $35 billion . . .

http://e-stoned.com/rec/797-Marijuana-i ... Cash-Crop/

And, what they don't factor in to this is how much more would come over the border than we already have, rehab for people using too much and developing a "problem" relating to society, welfare uptick from people not wanting to go to work and claiming a disability.

Funny how they always let you know, as with illegals, how much it's going to benefit everyone. They never mention the disadvantages.

And, what they don't factor in to this is how much more would come over the border than we already have, rehab for people using too much and developing a "problem" relating to society, welfare uptick from people not wanting to go to work and claiming a disability.


California grows better pot than Mexico , no need to import .
I have never heard of a rehab for pot smokers , they may exist though .
You can't O D from pot . Take a nap maybe .
I already have a problem with society , when I drink alcohol it just gets worse , when I smoke pot I just say Fu?k it and take a nap .
I already don't want to go to work .
The argument could go on and on on the pros and cons of pot but the bottom line is , Do you honestly think that a government agency that gets billions and billions of dollars for an ANNUAL budget , is actually going to work itself out of a job . NOT More money made by it being illegal .

So, if pot is legalized dose that mean pre employment drug testing gets thrown out the window?

There’s a reason employers don’t someone that’s so stoned they can’t find their feet on the job.. Insurance, employees getting kill, damage to equipment.

You never hear anything mentioned about this.

I can see it now. The first job discrmination lawsuit because a stoner was refuse a job.

Originally Posted by dragonfire

So, if pot is legalized dose that mean pre employment drug testing gets thrown out the window?

There’s a reason employers don’t someone that’s so stoned they can’t find their feet on the job.. Insurance, employees getting kill, damage to equipment.

You never hear anything mentioned about this.

I can see it now. The first job discrmination lawsuit because a stoner was refuse a job.

It will be handled like alcohol.
As long as you aren't using on the job they won't be able to keep you out of the job.
You can drink alcohol as long as you don't do it at work.

Having tried pot a few times, I won't touch the stuff again. It took me out of the loop of current life for hours, and who knows what it was cut with.
Regulated medicinal pot is one thing, but recreational pot is something a lot different.
Great, more Americans can lose jobs because they show up at work stoned. Now that will get the jobs for Americans emphasis going really well.

Pot Eradication Underway in West Virginia

Posted: 10:09 PM Jul 13, 2009
Last Updated: 10:20 PM Jul 13, 2009
Reporter: Will Jones
Email Address: will.jones@wsaz.com

BOONE COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- West Virginia State Troopers are spending a lot of time in the woods lately, looking for the state's biggest, illegal crop.

They're searching by air and on foot for marijuana plants.

In Boone County Monday, state troopers took thousands of dollars worth of marijuana off the streets. One location was in the sights of troopers for some time. They set up cameras in the spring to try to catch the growers in the act.

"It feels good to take some marijuana off the street. There is approximately 250 plants in this batch," Sgt. Andy Perdue said.

Troopers say marijuana is a constant problem in the county. It provides those who smoke it with more than a high, but it also leads to other crime.

"You got all the burglaries, the breaking and entering, all the property crimes. It all goes back to drug use and drug distribution because of people are stealing," Perdue said.

One state trooper got hurt Monday on the walk through the woods. He had several minor cuts to his arm.

The eradication effort is expected to continue through the week.

[ Copyright 2009 – WSAZ.com. All Rights Reserved. ]

http://www.wsaz.com/home/headlines/50682572.html

In my last job I worked with a guy in his mid 30's that could not function without pot. He also could not finish his sentences most of the time because he couldn't remember what he was saying. He was irritable when he wasn't stoned and dim-witted when he was. And, most of the time he didn't see a reason to pay his bills.

If that is a commercial for legalizing pot, we are in trouble. As for myself, I smoked quite a bit for a short period of my life in my late teens. I found it mind-numbing and boring. I guess to me, that says something not only about the people that want it legalized, but the people that smoke it regularly.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Originally Posted by dragonfire

So, if pot is legalized dose that mean pre employment drug testing gets thrown out the window?

There’s a reason employers don’t someone that’s so stoned they can’t find their feet on the job.. Insurance, employees getting kill, damage to equipment.

You never hear anything mentioned about this.

I can see it now. The first job discrmination lawsuit because a stoner was refuse a job.

It will be handled like alcohol.
As long as you aren't using on the job they won't be able to keep you out of the job.
You can drink alcohol as long as you don't do it at work.

"Drug" tests don't really work anyway. You could smoke pot, then 2 weeks later test positive. You could smoke crack, shoot heroin etc and 48 hours later be able to pass. The THC in pot is stored in fat cells which will stay in your system for 2-4 weeks. In a nutshell, there are people working that can be crack/heroin addicts, but the guy that took a toke off of a joint a week ago can't be hired. It's a sham and a waste of employer monies.