Marijuana starting to look like a new revenue source for states

Marijuana starting to look like a new revenue source for states
Monday, 05 April 2010 21:37

BY DAVID HARRISON
STATELINE.ORG


Mary Lou Dickerson had seen enough. After wrenching cuts to Washington's state drug and alcohol treatment programs, Dickerson, a Democratic representative, introduced a bill this year to sell marijuana in state liquor stores — and tax it.

Dickerson is an unlikely crusader for marijuana legalization. A 63-year-old grandmother who doesn't use it, she says money was the only reason for proposing her controversial bill. "According to the state's own estimates, it would bring in an additional $300 million per biennium," she says. "I dedicated (in the bill) a great deal of the proceeds from the tax on marijuana to treatment."

The proposal died in committee, but Dickerson, who chairs the House Human Services Committee, expects to reintroduce it. Other advocates in almost two dozen states have been making similar efforts to loosen marijuana laws.

This has been a bumper year for marijuana legislation, according to state policy observers. Crushing state budget deficits gave advocates in California, Washington, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York and elsewhere an opening to pitch marijuana as a new source of tax revenue. At the same time, the Obama administration gave users and distributors some breathing room by signaling in October that it would scale back on prosecuting them as long as they comply with state law.

Eighteen states discussed medical marijuana through legislation or citizen initiatives this year, an unusually high number. Most visibly, California election officials announced on March 24, that this year's ballot would include a question to allow local governments to legalize and tax marijuana, casting a spotlight on the state that first legalized medical marijuana in 1996. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/nation/marijuana-starting-to-look-like-a-new-revenue-source-for-states

of people have done time because of it!

that most of the big tobacco companies have some kind of strategy already in place for the day that they can capitalize on the legalization of pot.

But then again, one can always shop locally or grow one's own, yes?

is alcohol a source of revenue for states? well, gosh.

Used to be more optimistic!!

We'd have to overturn MIC first -- !!

Tell me I'm wrong -- PLEASE!!!

:)

Even if it's legalized, will prospective employers not hire someone who tests positive for it?
But for the medical need for it, I think they will be all right.
So will the liquor stores be like pharmacies I wonder.

They tried the whole piss test thing where I worked once. When they figured out that 90% of the staff smoked dope they gave up on that shit real quick...

What industries can throw out the pee tests?

Those industries which would be wise to keep them should also put in place no booze, too. But how? My spousal unit works in an industry which started drug testing in the 90s but still allowed seriously hung over people to come to work. That's just crazy. I trust someone who toked up the night before far more than I trust someone coming in hung over from eight Long Island Iced Teas.

trading with Cuba...

It's the smell of revenue, without the complaints of "new gubmint taxes".

It's just dangling in their faces. All they have to do is make that final leap.

n/t