Pubdate: Wed, 31 Jan 2018
Source: North Bay Nugget (CN ON)
Copyright: 2018 North Bay Nugget
Contact: http://www.nugget.ca/letters
Website: http://www.nugget.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2226
Author: John R. Hunt
Page: A4

GOVERNMENTS LUSTING AFTER CANNABIS TAXES

When I walk downtown in a year or two, will I have my choice of one or
more cannabis lounges? The idea of creating cannabis, marijuana or pot
places where consumers can smoke in pleasant and friendly surroundings
is being floated in Ontario. The government reportedly welcomes feedback.

It's all very funny. governments at all levels have been making life
very difficult for tobacco smokers. governments impose extremely harsh
taxes on tobacco. Municipal governments impose so many limitations
that smokers struggle to find a place where they can enjoy a cigarette.

Now governments are lusting to collect taxes on cannabis transactions.
Cannabis is to be legalized and consumers will pay as much as the
government believes it can get away with.

Landlords are seeking legislation that will help them ban cannabis
smokers from their apartments. It seems that cannabis is smelly and it
may cost much money to rid an apartment of its odour.

It is possible that cannabis lounges may replace the drinking spots
where men and women sometimes go to get away from it all and relax.

Today many restaurants have liquor licences and have replaced the
friendly neighbourhood bar.

Cobalt used to have Bernie's bar. I used to drop in there to pick up a
story from some visiting dignitary. Sometimes I played chess with a
Hungarian corset salesman.

Instead of going to a bar, many people may be switching to cannabis
lounges. Government monopolies have made drinking alcohol extremely
expensive. Bar operators have to add their own markup to the costs of
booze they buy from the monopoly.

People want to relax and enjoy the company of others who are having a
quiet drink. They may soon be switching from liquor to pot.

Liquor consumers have no one to protect their interests. there is no
competition, and federal and provincial governments keep on claiming
they are protecting public health when they increase taxes.

It's a different story with cannabis. Governments claim they want to
get rid of the criminal element in pot sales. As a result, they must
keep prices down to something reasonable.

It's a huge joke. The public interest is being served by people who
are outside the law.
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MAP posted-by: Matt