Potheads say: TAX ME!

The committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana in Nevada writes Taxing Marijuana Hurts Gangs. I disagree in as much as gangs are entrepreneurial in spirit. The black market is where the money is. High risk ventures have the highest rate of return for those smart enough, strong enough, and lucky enough to pull it off. Remove marijuana (or all drugs, for that matter) from their portfolio and they will shift investments to gun smuggling, child pornography, or counterfeit designer watches. As long as it makes money. Criminalize grapefruit and watch them jump on black market citrus.

However they make a very good point.

Make no mistake -- gangs rely on profits from marijuana like movie theaters make money off $8.00 popcorn.

Damn straight! I can get popcorn for FREE at work. Granted I don't get to watch the latest Hollywood Lackluster Craptacular with it, but that could be a good thing in itself. In theory I could bring in my iBook and a DVD and watch a movie during lunch break while munching on FREE popcorn. So isn't selling it for $8 criminal? Why isn't this industry regulated? Help me Big Government! Help save me from big giant companies who want to charge me too much for something I don't need but buy anyway.

Never mind the raving lunatic in the corner. Where was I? Oh yes...

Here is another angle on pot taxation. Why would government want to tax a portion of what you spend on marijuana when they can bust into your house (no knock laws) and take everything you own if they find drugs present? Why take some when you can have it all?

Switching angles again. Don't get dizzy. Why would we want government regulating marijuana? These same people allow absolute horse shit tobacco and donkey piss beer to be sold to us. A consumer is arguably better off with a free market (albeit underground) in which they have to educate themselves. Does anyone really want the pot equivalent of 3.2 beer?

Final swivel of the camera (for today). How stoned are you that you are ASKING for more taxes?! You want to give the government MORE money? Studies show this shit is relatively harmless especially when compared to alcohol and tobacco, but your request to have your hobby taxed and regulated could be construed as an argument to the contrary.

Damn, I forgot. People don't like that whole threat of arrest and imprisonment thing. So, $120 for an ounce plus the $45 per ounce wholesaler tax (passed on to the consumer of course) for $165 plus 6.5 percent sales tax for a total of $175.73 for an ounce of midgrade pot. Don't forget packaging and handling, infrastructure, you're looking at $200 per ounce in pretty short order. Maybe more when you look at supply and demand issues. Still, best of luck to the CRCM. May they get everything they've asked for.