Monday, July 13, 2009

Untaxed Revenue

Tammerlin Drummond: Pot of untaxed revenue

MediaNews columnist
Posted: 07/12/2009 12:00:00 AM PDT

SHE COULD BE a middle-age soccer mom. Or maybe, a Prop. 8 supporter warning
against the "evils" of same-sex marriage. But from the looks of her, Nadene
Herndon is about the last person I'd envision firing up a joint.

But there she is, the star of a controversial television advertisement from
the Marijuana Policy Project — stumping for the legalization and taxing of
pot in California.

Gazing earnestly into the camera, the Fair Oaks woman tells us that
California is facing huge cuts to schools, health care and public safety as
the state struggles with a whopper of a budget deficit.

"But the governor and the Legislature are ignoring millions of Californians
who want to pay taxes," Herndon says. "We're marijuana users. Instead of
being treated like criminals for a substance safer than alcohol, we want to
pay our fair share."

California's "marijuana industry," she says, could pay the salaries of
20,000 teachers and give the state's empty coffers a $1 billion infusion.

Help solve California's budget problems by legalizing and taxing pot?

Oh heck no, said the honchos at some of our area television news networks,
who refused to air the 30-second spot.

NBC affiliate KNTV rejected it. ABC affiliate KGO also turned the ad down
because it was "not comfortable." CBS affiliate KPIX and Fox affiliate KTVU
never answered back.

The ads did begin airing on KRON, on stations statewide and on CNN, Headline
News, MSNBC and CNBC.

The squeamishness of some TV stations notwithstanding, the pro-legalization
movement is gaining momentum.

Oakland is ground zero.

The city made national news when it put Measure F on the ballot in the July
21 special election. If F passes, Oakland would become the first city in the
country to levy a direct tax against marijuana dispensaries — $18 for every
$1,000 sales, on some $20 million in gross sales.

The pot dispensers are all for it because they see the tax as a huge step in
their efforts to be treated like other businesses. You can't call us
criminals! We pay taxes like everyone else. They can afford it. Pot sales,
at least, are recession proof. Many Oakland officials are for it because
$315,000 in new revenue is nothing to sneeze at when you're flat busted.

I suspect that if Oakland passes F, other California cities with pot clubs
in their midst will rush to follow suit.

That of course would give a huge boost to the legalization movement.

The fact is, if you're going to allow the cannabis dispensaries, you might
as well legalize pot. Just about anyone can qualify for a medical marijuana
card based on a supposed chronic illness that impairs their ability to
function. There are plenty of doctors willing to do the wink and nod and
plenty of folks with ID cards who sell illegally what they obtain legally.

Many people, whether they indulge or not, probably get that. According to a
Field Poll conducted in April, 56 percent of California voters think we
should legalize marijuana for recreational use and tax the proceeds. Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger says it's time to revisit the issue and examine the
impact of legalization.

Possession of marijuana for any reason is still a violation of federal law.
The Bush administration routinely sent out the Drug Enforcement Agency to
raid medical marijuana dispensaries.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. announced in March that the feds would
no longer prosecute the owners of legitimate medical marijuana dispensaries
— only those, who "falsely masquerade as medical dispensaries and use
medical marijuana laws as a shield." Good luck sorting that out.

Last month, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., reintroduced the Personal Use of
Marijuana By Responsible Adults Act of 2009 (I kid you not).

The law would make it legal to possess up to 3.5 ounces of pot and the
"transfer not for sale" of up to one ounce. So say you want to give a friend
an ounce as a gift, you wouldn't have to worry about the feds kicking in
your door. Our very own Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez, is on board.

In California, supporters of legalization are working on a state initiative
that would allow adults over the age of 21 to possess pot for personal use.
Meanwhile, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, is pushing a bill in
the Legislature that would regulate pot much like alcohol.

A lot of people will scream bloody murder.

But if taxing pot means not having to make unconscionable spending cuts that
shaft old and poor people, I'd be willing to consider it.

Tammerlin Drummond is a columnist for Bay Area News Group. Reach her at
tdrummond@bayareanewsgroup.com or on Twitter @Tammerlin.

http://www.mercurynews.com/columns/ci_12813584

1 comment:

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