Hearing on Legalization and Taxation of Marijuana in Massachusetts

[raysputin]

On Wednesday, October 14, 2009, at 10:00 AM in Room B2 at the Statehouse in Boston, the Joint Committee on Revenue in the Massachusetts legislature will hold a public hearing on the bill known as H2929, An Act to Regulate and Tax the Cannabis Industry. If passed, the new law would repeal existing marijuana prohibition laws at the state level and replace them with a system of regulation and taxation, similar to how wine is sold. The law, in fact, is largely modeled after the alcohol control laws.

http://home.comcast.net/~cantaxreg/Massachusetts/October_14.html

the statehouse is the big one on top of the hill in boston

 

[socbutter]

We can only pray for this to happen.

I'm retiring next year I would definitely add Mass to my list of states I would like to live.

Peace and be careful.

 

[itisme]

Man I hope they get it right!!!

 

[Aeroguerilla]

fucked up shit

 

[4 Dragons]

I really didn't like living in MA but I would have to consider moving back if this happens.

 

[ItsAllOver]

Wow. I don't know much of anything about the state, and I don't think I'd move there anyway, but if this goes through, it could be a serious stepping stone!
Nice to hear.

 

[motaloca]

just read that they propose a 250$ per ounce tax, for weed with a thc % higher than 10%.
That's way to high imo.
Hope they sort that out. How much taxes are paid on an ounce of tobacco?

 

[JackTheGrower]

Some day we will say.. Do you remember when it was illegal?

Hopefully in my lifetime..

 

[THE GENERAL]

all right massholes good luck

 

[Aeroguerilla]

its going to cost even more money once legal with these rediculous laws. will be cheaper on the blackmarket

 

[crikket]

Any update on the hearing? Anyone go?

 

[makedadproud]

Advocates tout pot tax at revenue hearing
By Kyle Cheney / State House News Service
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 - Added 31m ago


A regulated, taxed marijuana trade could help bolster the state’s economy, advocates for legal marijuana said today at a Revenue Committee hearing.

"Whether you like it or you hate it ... it is undeniable in 2009 that marijuana has become inextricably embedded in our culture," said Richard Evans, a Northampton attorney. "It is ubiquitous and it is ineradicable."

Evans urged the committee to "put on your green eye shades and give close scrutiny to marijuana prohibition." He asserted that the revenue the state could reap from a legalized marijuana industry could be comparable to the effect of introducing casinos, although he offered no supporting data.

During the hearing, lawmakers heard from a long line of lawyers, professors and young people who argued in favor of legalization, pointing to Massachusetts’s history as a leader on social issues and describing its potential to ease symptoms of Crohn’s disease or migraine headaches. Their testimony dominated the hearing, which also included on the docket bills to raise the alcohol excise tax and to reimburse cities and towns for tax exempt properties owned by non-profits.

Backers of legalization spoke on behalf of a bill (H 2929), filed by Rep. Ellen Story (D-Amherst) at Evans’s request. The proposal would prevent "possession or cultivation of cannabis," "gratuitous distribution of cannabis to an adult," and "possession or distribution of cannabis under a valid license" from being considered violations of the law.

A preamble to the proposal states that the goal of the bill is "the reduction of cannabis abuse, the elimination of marijuana-related crime and the raising of public revenue." The bill would establish a council to set up a grading system for marijuana quality and would ban additives, which supporters argued would ensure the health and safety of users.

The bill would impose various rates of excise taxes on marijuana retail sales, depending on the concentration of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. Marijuana with the highest concentration of THC would be taxed at $250 an ounce, while lower concentrations would range from $150 to $200 in taxes. In addition, licenses to sell marijuana would cost $2,000 a year. Marijuana vending machine sales would be prohibited.

Lawmakers on the committee expressed skepticism but offered little in the way of opposition or support. Rep. Lew Evangelidis (R-Holden) wondered whether any other nations have a system of taxation and regulations of marijuana, and Rep. Jay Barrows (R-Mansfield) asked advocates whether they would be confident in the government’s ability to set up a regulatory system.

Committee co-chair Rep. Jay Kaufman (D-Lexington) said he was surprised by one aspect of the arguments.

"This is probably the only hearing this committee has ever had or will ever have with this number of people asking to be taxed," he said.

The discussion came nearly a year after Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum to decriminalize the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana, replacing the threat of arrest with a $100 fine.

But advocates for legalization say decriminalizing possession still leaves open the question of where users would obtain marijuana, which they say is now done on an unregulated, often dangerous black market. They also highlighted the potential medical uses of marijuana and noted that California and Rhode Island were exploring issues surrounding legalization.

Rep. William Breault, a member of the Main South Alliance for Public Safety, a Worcester-area organization that advocates for various public safety measures, said legalizing marijuana would be giving political validation to a dangerous drug that is often the cause of impaired driving accidents. He said that in California, where some dispensaries may legally sell medical marijuana, ancillary robberies, shootings and other crimes have resulted.

Breault said he is pursuing local efforts to raise fines for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana to as much as $500.

Noting that driving under the influence of marijuana is already illegal, Rep. Evangelidis wondered whether rates of driving under the influence climb in areas in which marijuana can be obtained legally or with less restriction.

During the debate over the decriminalization of marijuana possession last year, law enforcement officials, the Patrick administration and various community groups formed a coalition that unsuccessfully sought to defeat the question. The coalition argued that decriminalization would cause a surge in violent crime, medical problems, impaired driving and youth drug use.
"Why would we want to put another monkey on society’s back?" Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley asked last year at a rally to oppose decriminalization. "There is no public health or public safety benefit."

Other opponents of decriminalization included Gov. Deval Patrick, Mayor Thomas Menino, Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, the TenPoint Coalition, the Black Ministerial Alliance, the Massachusetts Sheriffs Association, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Dorchester Youth Collaborative.


http://news.bostonherald.com/news/p...format=&page=2&listingType=MA2004#articleFull

 

[thcisallIneed]

legal or not. people will still smoke it and still have to do time for it. It is going to take a miracle to decriminalize cannabis.

 

[ShamanStyle]

It's only a matter of time until we wake up. Been sleeping for far too long.

 

[JackTheGrower]

Hey what is that sound? Oh It's Anslinger turning over in his grave.

Every step forwards in one less step backwards.

 

[pong]

dude the tax is more than an ounce costs!!! wtf!!!

 

[TEERCSIdbREEDER]

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-...galization-hearing-video-State-House-10142009

great start...cant wait to see the other videos to come.

 

[Rob547]

Yea, Pong, seconded. Thats a ton.

Living in MA isn't all that great IMO

 

[oldbootz]

these people against it are acting like if this act was passed that all adults and youth would be forced to smoke MJ every day...

just let the hippies smoke pot in peace and worry about other shit in your narrow minded lives you sick politicians

 

[litebuzz]

yeah i'm sure people are going to be lining up to register to be licensed so they can make $25 an oz...and the government can take $250....wtf? that guy is saying pot cost $5 an oz to produce. yeah right pal...you don't pay an electric bill, or use nutes or decent lights do you? this is not the way i thought it would it go. government fuks up everything!
anything that grows in the ground...doesn't need to be refined...shouldnt fukin be illegal..plain and simple.