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

Councilman

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Calif tax officials: Legal pot would rake in $1.4B
Jul 15 06:20 PM US/Eastern


SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - 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.

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This story is short on content but looms large in it's effects, and not just on taxes. There would have to be a fight of some king with the Feds. After all the demonizing of marijuana that began with racial overtones and moved on into phony medical claims were all done at the Federal level and are still used today. The worst claim they always use if, marijuana in a gateway drug. First it's not a drug it's an herb. Next if you want to talk and gate way substances, lets talk about one that you can use that can be connected to the use of every drug, herb, alcohol, sexual addiction, and anything else you can name with a negative attached to it. What is this terrible substance used by 99.999999% of all of those Ii just mentioned? Milk. Eeverybidy drank milk at some point and it makes as much sense as the argument we always hear. Oh yes there is no real case of ever dose ever in history. There are lies that say other wise but they are lies.
Now a chance to turn it's use into some good and I say go for it.
By the way I do not smoke or drink at all so let's not start with the jokes.
 
I thought California didn't tax medicine.
 
I'd like to see it legalized for the obvious reasons like it's medicinal use and tax revenue, and also as a means to demonstrate to the rest of the country that it doesn't pose as great of a risk that it's critics are claiming. Another reason would be to stop wasting money spent trying to eradicate it.
 
Sweet. I'm glad they are talking about it. The problem is, a large percentage of those "freedom loving", "small government", "state's rights", conservatives will be against it.
 
The money saved from court costs, police time, and so on would be enormous if marijuana was legal. I do not know what the street cost of pot is, but $50 per ounce seems steep. People may buy from dealers still, rather than buy it from the smoke shop at that price. But it should be legal.
 
I think it'd make more money then that. This would be my formula: figure out how much money the state makes on liquor, and triple it. I think that'd be a reasonable estimate.
 
Sweet. I'm glad they are talking about it. The problem is, a large percentage of those "freedom loving", "small government", "state's rights", conservatives will be against it.

Like who?



.........
 
It took a lot of drugs to get California into this mess, and I guess it'll take a lot more to get them out of it.
 
Sweet. I'm glad they are talking about it. The problem is, a large percentage of those "freedom loving", "small government", "state's rights", conservatives will be against it.

Only because cocaine and heroin will soon follow.
 
Huh? Why will those follow?

Thirty years ago, you would have laughed if someone told you one day two gay guys could get married, a guy could do what OJ did and get away with it, and marijuana would be legal.

Legalizing pot opens a Pandora's box.

One day we'll be debating legalizing polygamy and marrying farm animals. And we'll be debating legalizing recreational narcotic use altogether.
 
I believe that this is a clever, but nonetheless a, ploy to distract our attention from the fact that we need 1,400,000,000 dollars like a dying man needs water. Making some things legal, taxing them, doesn't disguise the fact that the real reason this is even brought up is because of other policies that made such a massive deficit.

We voted down additional taxes for a reason, and that reason was not for the state to find additional sources of revenue not currently known. Instead, it was for the state to find additional sources for money-saving - which to be fair, are currently known. Not money-spending, money-saving. So if they legalize it, is a moot point: what matters is that this is not a debate about "liberty, equality, brotherhood" but instead a debate about fiscal responsibility.

For that, I dislike the idea of legalizing it. The state can stew in its own consequences.
 
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I really do not know anything about pot to care one way or another. So, where are the pot people to defend this crop?
 
So what. It's none of your business what I do.

Yeah actually it is in this case.

We all have to follow the same rules, so I can oppose those rules which you also have to follow simply out of my own self interest with out giving a damn about you either way.

However, drug addiction and all related crime does directly affect me, not only through taxes, but in having to live in or near those neighborhoods.

I support legalizing pot, and not just this "medicinal" fagot bull****, but "because I want to get pie-faced because I can" recreational use, just like liquor. Your argument does not do the cause any favors.
 
Thirty years ago, you would have laughed if someone told you one day two gay guys could get married, a guy could do what OJ did and get away with it, and marijuana would be legal.

Legalizing pot opens a Pandora's box.

One day we'll be debating legalizing polygamy and marrying farm animals. And we'll be debating legalizing recreational narcotic use altogether.

Did you notice that you failed to include any supporting data or examples proving your argument in any way? I'll give you a ride if you need one, but you might first try finding a country or 2 which have legalized pot and demonstrate how pot lead to legalizing harsher drugs.

Otherwise, hop in....
 
Legalize it!

How many people smoke tobacco?

What is worse something that is grown from the ground
or something chemical?

I would have to say natural.
 
Legalize it!

How many people smoke tobacco?

What is worse something that is grown from the ground
or something chemical?

I would have to say natural.

Make no mistake, once it's legalized it will be heavily regulated and altered just like tobacco. Chances are distribution without a license will still be illegal, and the legal cigarettes will have every bit as many toxins as tobacco cigarettes do now.

However, just as you can buy tobacco and roll it yourself, I strongly believe you will be able to do the same with pot. You should also be able to grow your own, just as you can tobacco, and even brew your own liquor if you have the means.
 
Yeah actually it is in this case.

No, it's not. If I am not violating your life, liberty or property it's none of your business. You have no moral authority to interfere with my life. That's what separates real freedom from the "freedom" Conservatives tout. The "freedom" to do only what conservatives approve of is not freedom.

However, drug addiction and all related crime does directly affect me, not only through taxes, but in having to live in or near those neighborhoods.

Neighborhoods cannot be addicted to drugs. In any event, millions are addicted to drugs in this country, both legal and illegal. So you not liking it doesn't seem to be helping. And, again, it's none of your business.

I support legalizing pot, and not just this "medicinal" fagot bull****, but "because I want to get pie-faced because I can" recreational use, just like liquor. Your argument does not do the cause any favors.

I'm more concerned with my argument being logically consistent and correct than in being politically correct. My body does not belong to you or the Nanny state and as such what I choose to put in it is not your issue to worry about. Otherwise, to be consistent, we need to start banning all sorts of crap that is "bad" for people.
 
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No, it's not. If I am not violating your life, liberty or property it's none of your business. You have no moral authority to interfere with my life. That's what separates real freedom from the "freedom" Conservatives tout. The "freedom" to do only what conservatives approve of is not freedom.

Yeah, it is, because your drug use would violate my life, liberty or property.

Neighborhoods cannot be addicted to drugs. In any event, millions are addicted to drugs in this country, both legal and illegal. So you not liking it doesn't seem to be helping. And, again, it's none of your business.

Oh yes they can, I live 4 blocks away from one, and Pine Ridge reservation...which is on the other side of my ****ing state...affects me directly.

I'm more concerned with my argument being logically consistent and correct than in being politically correct about. My body does not belong to you or the Nanny state and as such what I choose to put in it is not your issue to worry about. Otherwise, to be consistent, we need to start banning all sorts of crap that is "bad" for people.

You keep assuming I give a crap about you. I give a crap about me, and that **** is harming me, so **** you and liberties and **** your hard-drugs argument because this thread is about pot which doesn't cause any such crime rate.
 
Make no mistake, once it's legalized it will be heavily regulated and altered just like tobacco. Chances are distribution without a license will still be illegal, and the legal cigarettes will have every bit as many toxins as tobacco cigarettes do now.

However, just as you can buy tobacco and roll it yourself, I strongly believe you will be able to do the same with pot. You should also be able to grow your own, just as you can tobacco, and even brew your own liquor if you have the means.

I agree but I still think It would be more beneficial for a person to smoke pot instead of tobacco.

* smoking nothing is the best of course.
 
I have no issues with legalizing Marijuana, but I think some drugs, particularly methamphetamine, crack, etc. should remain illegal. I don't really put pot on the same level as those drugs, though.
 
I agree but I still think It would be more beneficial for a person to smoke pot instead of tobacco.

* smoking nothing is the best of course.
Tobacco doesn't taste very good in cookies ;)
 
Only because cocaine and heroin will soon follow.

Just because a lot of anti-drug propaganda calls pot a gateway drug doesn't mean that it would actually remain one if it is made legal. That's absurd.
 
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