Edg, marijuana's relatively easy cultivation would skim some off of the taxable base, but to get really primo bud, like anything else, requires a high degree of sophistication and hard work. Here in Humboldt County there are lots of growers, lots of hydroponic supply companies, guilds of professional trimmers, and other examples of a growing infrastructure; it takes knowledge, people and lots of work to produce high-end product. I think that the demand for the good stuff would remain and be the basis for a taxable product.
** --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Duveyoung <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Marek, > > If weed was legal, there'd be weed growing in every ditch -- they > wouldn't get nearly the taxes that they're getting for alcohol and > tobacco. > > The hemp industry however would greatly benefit the economy. > > As far as I can tell, the law against pot is a racist tool to imprison > African Americans....plain and simple. > > Edg > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Marek Reavis" <reavismarek@> > wrote: > > > > Why on earth the government hasn't legalized marijuana (at least), > > regulated its use and taxed it to provide for needed government > > programs puzzles me. > > > > Here in Humboldt County the estimates of how much marijuana > > cultivation contributes to our local economy ranges from $200 million > > on the conservative side to half-a-billion on the optimistic side. > > And that's just a single California county; you can imagine how much > > in potential tax revenues that single crop could generate if it was > > legalized. > > > > And the savings in law enforcement, probation services, court and > > related court services themselves would be tremendous in and of > > themselves. Some portion of revenues could be directed towards drug > > education and rehabilitation services for those who become caught up > > in drug addiction, though marijuana ain't one of the drugs that > > causes problems (outside of its illegality). And, although there > > will always be something of a black market for any desirable product, > > the heavy duty criminal element that is drawn to high-risk, high- > > profit ventures would exit the market. > > > > I don't think that will happen until we have a responsible Republican > > administration that will make the argument an economic one; once you > > examine current drug laws through that lens I don't believe you can > > long endorse this well-intentioned but fundamentally flawed drug war. > > > > ** > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues" > > <curtisdeltablues@> wrote: > > > > > > I'm reading a book called Dry Manhattan, Prohibition in New York > > City. > > > It is such a strong parallel to what is going on now with an > > > important exception. Because of the depression, society got sick > > > really quickly of financing an unwinnable war which creates a > > mobster > > > underground making untaxible billions. The same issues of black > > market > > > impurities causing more health issues than the drug itself happened > > > back then also with private stills cranking out some nasty stuff. > > > > > > Cry'n Mama, Mama, Mama, cry'n canned heat kill'n me > > > Cry'n Mama, Mama, Mama, cry'n Sterno is kill'n me > > > If canned heat don't kill me, I believe I'll never die. > > > > > > Sterno strained through bread was a favorite drink. Only problem > > was > > > is was wood alcohol, not grain alcohol. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Marek Reavis" <reavismarek@> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > Thanks for posting this piece, Bob. Seeing firsthand how this so- > > > > called war is fought, at least on the jurisdictional battlefields > > I've > > > > been in, is a scary eye-opener to just how ineffective and crazy > > the > > > > whole enterprise is. One of the very worst examples of how a > > good > > > > intention goes terribly bad is the asset forfeiture laws that > > > > essentially create self-funding task forces that receive > > percentages of > > > > property and cash seized from drug arrests. > > > > > > > > It makes these multi-agency task forces into freebooters who > > profit > > > > from their busts. > > > > > > > > ** > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, bob_brigante <no_reply@> > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Think the war in Iraq is stupid? The war on drugs is much > > dumber: > > > > > > > > > > http://www.slate.com/id/2178795/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
