a new tax no one objected to: on medical marijuana

[yurbud]

So when Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn proposed taxing medical marijuana clinics in the city, you’d think there would be fury. You’d think there would be an uproar. You’d think there would be fist shaking and protests. “No more taxes!” You’d expect people to show up to City Council meetings dressed up like Paul Revere with picket signs of Hahn looking like Hitler or Chairman Mao. You’d expect bags of Lipton to be mailed to her. You’d expect someone to be upset - after all this is America!

But no one was upset. Not the ones who would pay the tax. Not at all, according to Hahn. “I’ve heard support across the board for taxing medical marijuana,” she tells Kush LA.

The proposed medical marijuana tax is almost like a sin tax. A sin tax is what the government puts on things like gambling, booze or tobacco. It’s supposed to somehow discourage people from doing it because taxes are just that revolting to people. A sin tax is punitive. It’s monetary punishment for being a sinner. It’s quite literally “hell to pay.”

But a sin tax on medicine? (Could someone possibly use medical marijuana recreationally? Yes, it’s possible. Not like Viagra has ever been used recreationally…)

http://www.tinadupuy.com/index.php/2009/09/21/the-only-group-in-the-history-of-the-world-to-request-to-be-taxed-more/">FULL TEXT

[Taverner]

1. Hell Yeah! I want to pay my taxes!

[T Wolf]

2. Everyone knows that only dirty commie hippies get cancer (and other diseases) and want to have their

dope to eat cookies and cake.

That is why there was no uproar. Hippies deserve to die, and go broke while doing so.

is the ':sarcasm:' really needed?

[Freddie Stubbs]

3. They know that many of those using "medical marijuana" are do so for recreational purposes

[Fumesucker]

4. Sometimes recreation *is* medicine..

Anything that does not harm others and allows one to destress in our oh-so-stressful world is a form of medicine, IMO.

[Webster Green]

7. Heh!.. ...three of us were typing the same thing at the same time.

We're brilliant! :rofl:

[rd_kent]

5. Recreation is a part of wellness. If more people recreated, there would be less sick people.

[Webster Green]

8. Yes, indeed!

That's why I wake and bake.

[Webster Green]

6. Recreation is thereaputic in itself.

Cannabis is just a wonderful plant. Period!

It is absurd that one of the most beneficial plants known to man is prohibited to the extent that it is. :wtf: :hippie:

[devilgrrl]

9. Couldn't the same be said for people who use Vicodin and Oxycotin?

:popcorn:

[Webster Green]

15. Sure.

They make you feel great. At least in my case. :smoke:

[CrownPrinceBandar]

10. Prove it.............

Lets see some stats to back that assertion there, pardner.

[Bluenorthwest]

11. The horror!

And you know, then there are the chemo patients and the glaucoma folks and the MS people and the chronic pain crowd, but you know that does not matter. Eyesight to the blind, and you give the medicine wee John McCain air quotes "". It is medicine to millions, natural and safe.

[Ghost in the Machine]

13. So?? People use prescription drugs for recreational purposes and it KILLS them...

Dana Plato died of Lortab overdose, Heath Ledger... Anna Nicole Smith, Michael Jackson... just to name a few.

I challenge you to name ONE PERSON who had died of a marijuana overdose... just ONE... I'll be waiting.

:popcorn:

[yurbud]

12. this will have a backhanded effect of protecting medical pot since pols will want to keep $$$ coming

[Soylent Brice]

14. why not. as long as we can light up.

[mdmc]

16. ..

[Bozita]

17. Shouldn't all prescription drugs be similarly taxed? All were prescribed by MDs.