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Marijuana tax take nearly double expected in Colorado

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Re: Marijuana tax take nearly double expected in Colorado

#51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And taxing it enough ensures those black markets don't disappear.

Regulations is a secondary taxation on legal dealers. Businesses have to pay high license fees, buy required security, keep records of EVERY PLANT (rfid tags). Its still profitable enough and safe enough from police harassment that there about 900 businesses.

Yeah but black markets can still exist even if it is profitable for some. From what I've read some consumers are turning to black markets because it's cheaper than licensed stores [1].

[1] http://www.cnbcprime.com/marijuana/video/pot-after-hours-the...

Re: Marijuana tax take nearly double expected in Colorado

#53
The distribution of pot taxes indicates who the tax payer customers may be. First there is the location of taxes. The resort town bring in a fair amount indicating tourist types dont want the effort or danger of developing black market.

Second is almost half the revenues come from refined products like edibles and vapes. Some people think smoking is either stinky or cancerous.

A detailed revenue report comes out every year. It is a developing industry and quickly changing.

Re: Marijuana tax take nearly double expected in Colorado

#54

This is good news and bad news. The funding for schools will be a boon to education in the state, and that's certainly not bad. However, I expect will almost certainly lead to decreased education funding from other revenue sources, and ultimately place education footing on less solid ground for years to come. It was brilliant PR move to earmark the tax revenue for education, there's no doubt about that. It's very har…

In Ireland in 2008 we were warned the only two industries that would remain unaffected by the looming recession were the funeral and cigarette manufacturing industry. The two were absolutely stable the entire time almost every other industry brought in less tax revenue/revenue.

Sin taxes can be some of the most stable sources of income as in the case of cigarettes and this is more evident during times of downturn when everything else is being slashed or falling in value. The problem is you need to wait to judge revenue after other states legalise.

Re: Marijuana tax take nearly double expected in Colorado

#55

This is good news and bad news. The funding for schools will be a boon to education in the state, and that's certainly not bad. However, I expect will almost certainly lead to decreased education funding from other revenue sources, and ultimately place education footing on less solid ground for years to come. It was brilliant PR move to earmark the tax revenue for education, there's no doubt about that. It's very har…

The silliest tax earmark was for anti-pot education, especially aimed at under 18. Seeing users and magazine ads everywhere saying it is good for adults, but how could you say its bad for teens then?

Well one argument is that teen brains are not done developing, and something that has a negligible effect on an adult might not be so for teenagers... even if there are no harmful long-term effects it might interfere with schoolwork or other things that teenagers are responsible for. I have read these arguments but I don't know what the available evidence points to, this seems like the kind of thing I'd want this sort of education to cover.

Alcohol and tobacco are most definitely harmful for everybody, and it's certainly possible to argue that choosing to use a potentially harmful substance is not something minors are prepared to make a reasoned judgement about.

More generally, I think that showing teenagers that people who buy ads in magazines don't necessarily have their best interests at heart is a good thing!

Re: Marijuana tax take nearly double expected in Colorado

#56

This is good news and bad news. The funding for schools will be a boon to education in the state, and that's certainly not bad. However, I expect will almost certainly lead to decreased education funding from other revenue sources, and ultimately place education footing on less solid ground for years to come. It was brilliant PR move to earmark the tax revenue for education, there's no doubt about that. It's very har…

The silliest tax earmark was for anti-pot education, especially aimed at under 18. Seeing users and magazine ads everywhere saying it is good for adults, but how could you say its bad for teens then?

Science. It impedes brain development in youth.

Re: Marijuana tax take nearly double expected in Colorado

#58

This is good news and bad news. The funding for schools will be a boon to education in the state, and that's certainly not bad. However, I expect will almost certainly lead to decreased education funding from other revenue sources, and ultimately place education footing on less solid ground for years to come. It was brilliant PR move to earmark the tax revenue for education, there's no doubt about that. It's very har…

The irony seems lost on them that something similar happens within your body with constant drug use. Let's hope the sin tax scenario remains open to future reversibility as the body does.

Re: Marijuana tax take nearly double expected in Colorado

#59
post #57

Colorado's budget is a $27 Billion per year. Marijuana taxes fund 0.26% percent of the budget. "Big new revenue source" is plainly not an argument for legalization.

If $70 million isn't a "big new revenue source" then what is? Have there been recent tax changes in any other states that have surpassed this?

Re: Marijuana tax take nearly double expected in Colorado

#60
post #54

This is good news and bad news. The funding for schools will be a boon to education in the state, and that's certainly not bad. However, I expect will almost certainly lead to decreased education funding from other revenue sources, and ultimately place education footing on less solid ground for years to come. It was brilliant PR move to earmark the tax revenue for education, there's no doubt about that. It's very har…

In Ireland in 2008 we were warned the only two industries that would remain unaffected by the looming recession were the funeral and cigarette manufacturing industry. The two were absolutely stable the entire time almost every other industry brought in less tax revenue/revenue. Sin taxes can be some of the most stable sources of income as in the case of cigarettes and this is more evident during times of downturn whe…

Video games are one of the best investments during bad times as well.
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