Pubdate: Tue, 28 Apr 2015
Source: Boston Herald (MA)
Copyright: 2015 The Boston Herald, Inc
Contact:  http://news.bostonherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/53
Note: Prints only very short LTEs.
Author: Marvin Cable

POT WOULD BE TAXED

No one expects the Herald to endorse the repeal of marijuana 
prohibition and its replacement with a legal framework in which 
adults may responsibly cultivate the plant and engage in commercial 
activities ("The fine print on marijuana," April 20). So the polemic 
was expected.

The Herald doubts the proposal will eliminate a black market, based 
upon the experience in other states. But in those cases legalization 
has entailed both excessive taxes and compliance costs.

The Herald also complains that there is no "pot tax" in the draft 
law. Its silence on that topic means that sales would be subject to 
the 6.25 percent sales tax (though under some circumstances it may 
fall within one or more of the exemptions to that tax). Suppression 
of the black market may require imposing a lower excise tax, perhaps, 
a fixed-rate tax per unit similar to Massachusetts ' current tax on 
alcoholic beverages, collected by producers, surprisingly among the 
lowest in the nation.

Marvin Cable, Northampton
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom