Pass the Bong...NH House to vote on Legalizing Weed...

[camp guy]

Soooooooooooooooo, hypothetically speaking (of course), with the inflow of new tax dollars, just which current tax burdens will be eased because of the new-found revenue.

Oh, I get it, none, just more spending, silly me!

[HomeWood]

People are already smoking weed, buying it underground, and funding criminals all the way down the chain. Legalize, regulate it, and tax the snot out of it. It grows naturally and the only reason it is illegal is because there is no tax revenue from it. The same things go for "Moonshine" down here in NC. I think some of the attraction to it is just the fact it is illegal. If anybody can grow it, then there is little to no ciminal enterprise to go with it.

There may be a slight increase in usage because there will be people who want to try it or use it, but never wanted to risk criminal charges (smart). What happens if another plant is discovered to offer the same "high" as weed? What happens if it's discovered that smoking Dandy Lions will provide a high? I have libertarian tendencies and feel that adults should have the right to make their own decisions while leaving them to deal with the consequences on their own.

You can still be convicted of DWI (driving while impaired) if the impairing substance is weed. There is just no test to measure how much you had like there is for alcohol. A law could be made stating that no marijuana may in your system while driving. Marijuana lingers in the body, but I mean the immediate usage of it. An officer stops somebody and they are high, marijuana tests positive in a blood draw...boom, 0 tolerance then. This would include boats, atvs, and sleds.

The point is that it is already being used and the war against it is never going to be "won".

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by HomeWood

People are already smoking weed, buying it underground, and funding criminals all the way down the chain. Legalize, regulate it, and tax the snot out of it. It grows naturally and the only reason it is illegal is because there is no tax revenue from it. The same things go for "Moonshine" down here in NC. I think some of the attraction to it is just the fact it is illegal. If anybody can grow it, then there is little to no ciminal enterprise to go with it.

There may be a slight increase in usage because there will be people who want to try it or use it, but never wanted to risk criminal charges (smart). What happens if another plant is discovered to offer the same "high" as weed? What happens if it's discovered that smoking Dandy Lions will provide a high? I have libertarian tendencies and feel that adults should have the right to make their own decisions while leaving them to deal with the consequences on their own.

You can still be convicted of DWI (driving while impaired) if the impairing substance is weed. There is just no test to measure how much you had like there is for alcohol. A law could be made stating that no marijuana may in your system while driving. Marijuana lingers in the body, but I mean the immediate usage of it. An officer stops somebody and they are high, marijuana tests positive in a blood draw...boom, 0 tolerance then. This would include boats, atvs, and sleds.

The point is that it is already being used and the war against it is never going to be "won".

Well said, Homewood!

Camp Guy is not wrong either, but Colorado has a really good transportation structure and poor schools (15% of that tax is earmarked for school rebuilding), while I feel we have the reverse. Many of our schools are new and well built, while most (if not all) state roads I ride are in need of proper replacement, not just a patch.

It also cuts the legs out from under the synthetic pot market.

It certainly will come with growing pains!

[Flylady]

So.....what happens to all of the money from lotto ticket sales? Does that really keep school taxes down? What makes anyone think that it (pot tax) will lessen the individual tax burden? Any examples of that actually happening and being sustained?

[HomeWood]

Originally Posted by Flylady

So.....what happens to all of the money from lotto ticket sales? Does that really keep school taxes down? What makes anyone think that it (pot tax) will lessen the individual tax burden? Any examples of that actually happening and being sustained?

Oh, I agree. It's funny how our personal tax burdens are rarely affected in our favor when new forms of revenue are established. The politicians just find more stuff to spend the new found money on. Regardless of the tax revenue, the money and effort saved by law enforcement and the court system alone is worth the legislation. This argument is for weed only, not harder or synthetic drugs.

[Billy Bob]

Please take a look around before you start thinking of reducing your own taxes as the State is basically falling apart . Roads , other then the interstate , are a mess , parks are in disrepair , places like Laconia need major help , huge percentage of older ( and younger ) living in poverty with no insurance . It might be great for us lucky people that live around the lake ( and most made the money to do so in another state ) but the lack of revenue has had a very negative impact on most of this state
On the weed part . The stuff is all over right now and there is realy not a lot to be concerned with . It's on the same level as a six pack , actually probably safer

[HomeWood]

Originally Posted by Billy Bob

Please take a look around before you start thinking of reducing your own taxes as the State is basically falling apart

Is that from not enough tax revenue or wasteful government? I'll take wasteful government for a $1000, Alex. I am not a NH resident (yet!), so I do not claim to know all of it's financial business. However, basic money principles cross every state line. If government would stick to funding the essential functions of itself, you would not have parks and roads in disrepair.

This is about legalizing weed in NH, so I'll stay on topic and avoid the healthcare insurance bait. I bet a lot of roads could be fixed with weed tax revenue and I agree that many roads up there could certainly use it. As somebody who does not support most government social programs (SS and medicare are not included), I would even go as far to say that some of that tax revenue could be used for drug rehab programs and education. Weed use could certainly offer just as destructive consequences as anything else.

NH governs their liquor similar to how NC does it. We have county run ABC stores and it is the only place to buy anything other than beer or wine and those are in the grocery stores, too. I am not saying the state should also sell weed, but it sells alcohol and alcohol has done just as much if not more damage than weed ever has on a personal level. I am not counting the crime and violence that comes with underground weed enterprises.

Again, it comes down to money. Follow the money trail to almost everything. The government does not give a rats behind about you smoking marijuana. They just do not make any tax revenue off it like they do with alcohol or cigarette sales. It makes no sense to think that the government is looking out for your welfare about weed use while at the same time they are offering you alcohol and cigarettes right next to the highways as you drive to and from the lake.