Pubdate: Sun, 1 Aug 2010
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Copyright: 2010 San Jose Mercury News
Contact:  http://www.mercurynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/390
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n607/a04.html
Author: Paul Stewart

CANNABIS TAX WOULD BOOST DRUG DEALERS

So a city poll shows 66 percent of likely voters favor a 10 percent
sales tax on medicinal cannabis ("Cannabis tax likely headed to
ballot," Page B1, July 26). How many "likely voters" know of someone
who is a medicinal cannabis patient? It's time to come out from the
shadows. This is a legitimate health care issue about people battling
terminal or debilitating illnesses while trying to afford their medicine.

And imagine the numbers if the poll could count support from drug
dealers. A 10 percent tax, plus the state sales tax of 9.25 percent,
virtually guarantees patients will resort to nonregulated sources
(versus medicinal cannabis collectives), driving them to drug dealers
where no tax is charged but nor is their safety secure or the medicine
checked. Isn't this what the city is trying to avoid? Let's hope the
San Jose City Council corrects this gross inequity because if it
doesn't, in the end, we'll all pay.

Paul Stewart

Director of Public Policy

Medicinal Cannabis Collective Coalition (MC3)

San Jose 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake