Colorado puts 25% excise tax on pot.

And that is just the opening round. Look for it to creep ever higher.

As time goes by, politicians will regard that tax as some kind of infinite pool of money. They will keep raising the rate - for the children, of course! - and create ever greater incentives to dodge the tax.

Colorado did a smart thing by legalizing pot.

They are doing a stupid thing by taxing it so high that it creates a black market. They are just replacing one type of crime with another.

Boy am I glad I quit going to Colorado!

Boy am I glad I quit going to Colorado! Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

It's cheaper and tax free in Austin?

I wouldn't know... anymore!

Not to worry.

One of the forum's esteemed professors will be along any moment to give us the obvious solution for residents of Colorado counties who are troubled by the new tax:

Secession!

Not to worry.

One of the forum's esteemed professors will be along any moment to give us the obvious solution for residents of Colorado counties who are troubled by the new tax:

Secession! Originally Posted by CaptainMidnight

he/they are still trying to figure out how to fund the "new state" without taxing the people

he/they are still trying to figure out how to fund the "new state" without taxing the people Originally Posted by CJ7

Well, he'll get around to figuring that out once he determines how Colorado's legislature and the United States Congress might be persuaded to approve the secession of a group of counties!

Well, he'll get around to figuring that out once he determines how Colorado's legislature and the United States Congress might be persuaded to approve the secession of a group of counties. Originally Posted by CaptainMidnight

According to the perfesser, they don't need approval.

The neighboring states will recognize them by cutting deals with them for their mineral wealth.

Yeah, that's the ticket...

According to the perfesser, they don't need approval.

The neighboring states will recognize them by cutting deals with them for their mineral wealth.

Yeah, that's the ticket... Originally Posted by ExNYer

Ah, yes, I almost forgot -- he did say that, didn't he?

I'm sure the professor can offer us a nuanced argument as to why Colorado's legislature and governor would just let all that mineral wealth fly away with nary a concern for the state treasury's lost revenue.

welcome to JD's world


the devil is in the details, so ignore the details

Another "straw man" bites the dust in Colorado. Six of the eleven counties rejected the idea of "exploring" a 51st State on what was a "straw poll" item on the ballot. In the five counties that showed a majority of voters wanted to explore the idea the total vote was 3600 yes and 3000 no......now there is a sizeable majority....6600 voters in five counties....let's see TWO SENATORS and I suppose they would get a REPRESENTIVE. The counties voted in favor of the TAX on STONERS.

The tax the Mexican cartels imposed was well over 1000%, 25% seems extremely low for a plant that has been growing wild, all on it's own for thousands of years. All Coloradoan's can grow it for free, and tax free. The Johnny Appleseed's will supply the CO's, the tax is for the tourists and connoisseurs who want the best and have the money to pay for it. There will be billions to be made.

The tax the Mexican cartels imposed was well over 1000%, 25% seems extremely low for a plant that has been growing wild, all on it's own for thousands of years. All Coloradoan's can grow it for free, and tax free. The Johnny Appleseed's will supply the CO's, the tax is for the tourists and connoisseurs who want the best and have the money to pay for it. There will be billions to be made. Originally Posted by nwarounder

I think the point was whether or not they are creating a black market. If there are billions to be made, there will be extensive cheating in order NOT to pay the billions.

Can Coloradans actually grow there own? Or is there regulation on that? Because that would defeat the purpose of legalizing and taxing it.

In practicality though, how many Coloradans will actually grow it? You can grow tobacco more easily than pot, yet how many people do that?

And there is a black market for cigarettes (albeit small) created people trying to beat the excise taxes on tobacco.

I think the point was whether or not they are creating a black market. If there are billions to be made, there will be extensive cheating in order NOT to pay the billions.

Can Coloradans actually grow there own? Or is there regulation on that? Because that would defeat the purpose of legalizing and taxing it.

In practicality though, how many Coloradans will actually grow it? You can grow tobacco more easily than pot, yet how many people do that?

And there is a black market for cigarettes (albeit small) created people trying to beat the excise taxes on tobacco. Originally Posted by ExNYer

Prohibition created the enormous black market, maybe there will be some in CO, like you said, there is a black market for tobacco and alcohol, but on a percentage basis I suspect it will be extremely low and about the same as tobacco and moonshine is now.

And yes, any CO citizen can grow up to 6 plants at a time, with no tax paid. You have to remember the citizens passed it for a few reasons, yes to ingest, but mainly to stop the imprisonment of it's citizens for a victimless crime, not just to make money and collect taxes from it. And of course, medicine even though it was legal, it was regulated much more than now.

As far as billions to be made, you have to consider the versatility of the plant and it's sister (hemp) which is now legal too, which can be turned into paper and textile products, clothing, rope, food (highest protein of any seed), fuel (yes you can power vehicles from it), building materials (hempcrete and insulation and more), automobile panels and composites, organic weed control products, and the list goes on and on and on. And who knows what the next ingenious idea will be spawned, from it's use, now that scientists and engineers can study it with out fear of going to jail. Wasn't just talking about the recreational strain. But you can imagine all the suppliers needed to grow, cultivate and harvest, manufacture, and sell. It gets pretty staggering, very fast.

Prohibition created the enormous black market, maybe there will be some in CO, like you said, there is a black market for tobacco and alcohol, but on a percentage basis I suspect it will be extremely low and about the same as tobacco and moonshine is now.

And yes, any CO citizen can grow up to 6 plants at a time, with no tax paid. You have to remember the citizens passed it for a few reasons, yes to ingest, but mainly to stop the imprisonment of it's citizens for a victimless crime, not just to make money and collect taxes from it. And of course, medicine even though it was legal, it was regulated much more than now.

As far as billions to be made, you have to consider the versatility of the plant and it's sister (hemp) which is now legal too, which can be turned into paper and textile products, clothing, rope, food (highest protein of any seed), fuel (yes you can power vehicles from it), building materials (hempcrete and insulation and more), automobile panels and composites, organic weed control products, and the list goes on and on and on. And who knows what the next ingenious idea will be spawned, from it's use, now that scientists and engineers can study it with out fear of going to jail. Wasn't just talking about the recreational strain. But you can imagine all the suppliers needed to grow, cultivate and harvest, manufacture, and sell. It gets pretty staggering, very fast. Originally Posted by nwarounder

Makes sense to me...Texas needs to put it on the ballot.