MMJ: It's In The Numbers

I used to smoke pot back in the ’60s and ’70s. During that time, I worked 40-hour weeks, drove four hours per night to school, spent three hours a night in class, and graduated with my masters in six years. Like many at the time, I segued into the socially acceptable cigarette and alcohol mode. Here we are decades later, still dealing with the absurdities of deciding what drugs adults can or can’t consume. I was just reading today that by May, Colorado had collected more than $88 million in marijuana taxes in 2015, without any increase in drug related crime. I also read that our state government is scratching their collective heads trying to figure out how to increase taxes on gas and cars in order to rebuild our infrastructure.

California has more than 7 times the population of Colorado. Simple math would indicate that if our state would simply follow Colorado’s lead and policies, we should generate a total of $1.47 billion per year in tax revenues. For some reason, the puritans in our government balk at such a simple answer.

John B. Egan | Grass Valley, CA

Thank you for reading. I agree with you, although I am not sure your numbers are correct. It is incredibly obvious that California could use some weed money, although I suspect the tax revenues might be a little lower than $1.4 billion (for more on that, search California and cannabis on www.nerdwallet.com). But even $500 million would go a long way to helping this great state of ours.

The question is, who is going to get the money? The cops and law enforcement will want a cut because they stand to lose money if they can no longer arrest, jail and fine people for using cannabis (they will also have to be less racist if they can’t harass minorities for pot, but I digress). The schools need money, because California has its priorities effed up. And also, if you say the weed money will go to the schools, people will be more inclined to vote yes (we hope). I’m not sure if there will be any left over for roads.

But, whatevs. The legislature can’t even get it together enough to pass medical cannabis legislation (266 and 243 are still in limbo, and getting worse as we go along), so I have no faith in their ability to pass recreational regulations. Thank Jah for the initiative process. Maybe the people can pass a good law in 2016.