California City (Oakland) OKs Tax Rates for Marijuana

Source: Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Anticipating California voters will back a November ballot measure to legalize casual marijuana use, officials in Oakland have approved two tax rates on pot sales in their city, already a hub of the state's medicinal marijuana scene.

Oakland's city council on Monday night approved the rates -- a 5 percent gross receipts tax on licensed marijuana growers and on businesses selling marijuana for medical purposes, and a 10 percent rate on sales of marijuana used for recreational purposes.

California voters in 1996 approved a measure allowing marijuana use for medical purposes and would legalize its recreational use if they approve Proposition 19 in November.

The measure would allow marijuana possession for personal use and would authorize local governments to issue permits for pot production and sales and to tax it under state law. Selling marijuana would remain illegal under federal law.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/07/28/us/politics/politics-us-economy-california-marijuana.html?ref=politics

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Wow, times have changed.

Pardon me while I get downwind of them.

Okay, this is just all sorts of different shades of ridiculous. Stop pussy-footing around, and end the freakin' 'war' on drugs.

I would have thought that since they're obviously smoking *something*, they really ought to know the correct name of the plant.

:argh: