MMJ: Don't Cook the Goose

These taxes at the club are wrecking my weed budget. I want to support the legal industry, but I am not made of money. What can I do? - Sir Brokey McBrokerton

I’m glad you asked. Get on the phone (or email) and talk to your state legislators about Assembly Bill 1948, which would lower the excise tax and eliminate the cultivation tax. It failed last year, but Assemblymember Rob Bonta, D-Sacramento, is planning to reintroduce the bill this session. This time he seems to have more support. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s release about the new budget included this tidbit: “The administration, in consultation with the industry and stakeholders, will consider other changes to the existing cannabis tax structure, including the number of taxes and tax rates to simplify the system and to support a stronger, safer legal cannabis market.” It’s about time. Thank you Assemblymember Bonta, Gov. Newsom and State Treasurer Fiona Ma for supporting this common-sense legislation. So, seriously: Call your representatives and tell them to pass AB 1948.

Cannabis is a golden goose. California sold over $3 billion worth of cannabis and cannabis accessories last year. Too bad 75 percent of that money went to the black market. How can the state make more money and stop unregulated businesses from eating all the cookies? Easy:

1. Increase access. Fresno, for instance, has finally decided to allow cannabis dispensaries. This is a good first step. There should be at least as many dispensaries in any given town as there are liquor stores.

2. Lower licensing fees. It shouldn’t cost a million dollars to open a weed store. If you want regular people and not shady people with ties to Ukrainian money laundering schemes (looking at you, Sacramento) to open clubs, you have to make it easier and less expensive for them.

3. Ban the bans. One of the coolest things about Oklahoma’s medical cannabis ordinance is that cities and counties can’t block it. We need that in California. If I can’t go to a weed store in Clovis, you bet your sweet bippy I will find someone in the black market to sell me an eighth.

4. Stop trying to create gigantic farms. Cannabis has been decentralized since forever. Giving precedence to giant companies with money but no concept of the cannabis culture helps no one. Treat weed stores like microbreweries and we’ll be better off in the long run.