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SF suspends cannabis tax to help dispensaries compete with drug dealers
11–20 of 247 posts
Re: SF suspends cannabis tax to help dispensaries compete with drug dealers
#12Whats the price difference here? Doesn't seem worth the effort of hitting up a dealer unless you're picking up a couple other party platters.
I don't smoke weed, (not for moral reasons, I just hate it), but the incentive structures are really weird. My read on the situation is... Government wants to tax the weed and ensure its safe. So there are a ton of regulations which require you to do a lot of extra work and are expensive. That, along with the taxes creates a huge price differential between legal and illegal weed. I thought it was all about taxes at f…
>I thought it was all about taxes at first, but I've come to understand that illegal growers often use toxic pesticides that further increase yield-- and thus it is important to know where your weed comes from.
I've always preferred to pay the higher prices for this reason, and the fact that I know exactly how potent something is.
Re: SF suspends cannabis tax to help dispensaries compete with drug dealers
#13Has the city considered…uh, arresting drug dealers?
Re: SF suspends cannabis tax to help dispensaries compete with drug dealers
#14Whats the price difference here? Doesn't seem worth the effort of hitting up a dealer unless you're picking up a couple other party platters.
You, along with probably most of hacker news, probably just won't understand
- unless you connect with the culture.
To help explain it...
I find what I need from friends and neighbors. I have built a system of trust that operates outside of the typical capitalistic reality that the rest of society runs on. Sometimes it means knowing where stuff was grown and who grew it. Sometimes the trust is more blind - it depends on the situation. Since cannabis is an organic compound (I only consume flower, not oil or edibles) I find it easy to "verify" that I am getting a legitimate product.
I don't mean to brag, but I have a situation where I mostly get it for free. It is all love, and to have people share the love makes it all the more special.
Another way to think of it like a CSA - would you want organic produce directly from the farm, or from Whole Foods?
I hope this helps, at the very least, humanizes the other side a little bit.
Re: SF suspends cannabis tax to help dispensaries compete with drug dealers
#15Has the city considered…uh, arresting drug dealers?
Woah, that would disproportionately affect the criminals.
Re: SF suspends cannabis tax to help dispensaries compete with drug dealers
#16Whats the price difference here? Doesn't seem worth the effort of hitting up a dealer unless you're picking up a couple other party platters.
I don't smoke weed, (not for moral reasons, I just hate it), but the incentive structures are really weird. My read on the situation is... Government wants to tax the weed and ensure its safe. So there are a ton of regulations which require you to do a lot of extra work and are expensive. That, along with the taxes creates a huge price differential between legal and illegal weed. I thought it was all about taxes at f…
Will the action the article describes, removing the 1%-5% tax, help much? It sounds like the other price advantages of illegal businesses will remain. Maybe removing this tax will reduce some paperwork?
The illegal businesses are probably still evading personal income tax, payroll tax, corporate income tax, sales tax. In addition to the pesticide stuff you mention.
Re: SF suspends cannabis tax to help dispensaries compete with drug dealers
#17Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't smoke weed, (not for moral reasons, I just hate it), but the incentive structures are really weird. My read on the situation is... Government wants to tax the weed and ensure its safe. So there are a ton of regulations which require you to do a lot of extra work and are expensive. That, along with the taxes creates a huge price differential between legal and illegal weed. I thought it was all about taxes at f…
Will the action the article describes, removing the 1%-5% tax, help much? It sounds like the other price advantages of illegal businesses will remain. Maybe removing this tax will reduce some paperwork? The illegal businesses are probably still evading personal income tax, payroll tax, corporate income tax, sales tax. In addition to the pesticide stuff you mention.
I cannot speak from any position of authority-- but I don't think even 5% would be a major reduction in price-- but its likely the only thing the city of SF can alter. My feeling is illegal weed is at least half the price of the legal stuff.
The rest is state regulations. The laws are as onerous as having to tag and register each plant, what happened to it, their weight at harvest, and sometimes genetic testing of those plants.
The idea is to create a paper trail such that illegally grown weed can't be laundered into being legal-- but my god is it a MESS.
Re: SF suspends cannabis tax to help dispensaries compete with drug dealers
#18Whats the price difference here? Doesn't seem worth the effort of hitting up a dealer unless you're picking up a couple other party platters.
You, along with probably most of hacker news, probably just won't understand - unless you connect with the culture. To help explain it... I find what I need from friends and neighbors. I have built a system of trust that operates outside of the typical capitalistic reality that the rest of society runs on. Sometimes it means knowing where stuff was grown and who grew it. Sometimes the trust is more blind - it depends…
This comment feels like art. Either it’s a troll that’s not that good, or it’s a genuine comment so far off in lala land that it’s a privilege to read.
Re: SF suspends cannabis tax to help dispensaries compete with drug dealers
#19Wait I was told that when it was legalized there would be no more underground drug market. Seems things aren't as simple as they seem on the surface.
Depends on how much regulation you place around the market. According to wikipedia, most cities and counties in California have banned cannabis retail, which is just one thing likely to contribute to an ongoing black market. I imagine there are others.
Re: SF suspends cannabis tax to help dispensaries compete with drug dealers
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
You, along with probably most of hacker news, probably just won't understand - unless you connect with the culture. To help explain it... I find what I need from friends and neighbors. I have built a system of trust that operates outside of the typical capitalistic reality that the rest of society runs on. Sometimes it means knowing where stuff was grown and who grew it. Sometimes the trust is more blind - it depends…
This comment feels like art. Either it’s a troll that’s not that good, or it’s a genuine comment so far off in lala land that it’s a privilege to read.
Nothing about that comment seems THAT unusual. Honestly, I'm spending more time sitting here trying to understand where you're coming from than I am with them. What elements of their comment struck you as trolling?