Vancouver mayor proposes marijuana tax to fund drug treatment

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/aplocal_story.asp?category=6420&slug=CAN%20Marijuana%20Tax



Monday, May 10, 2004 · Last updated 1:33 a.m. PT

Vancouver mayor proposes marijuana tax to fund drug treatment

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Mayor Larry Campbell has proposed legalizing and taxing marijuana sales - but not total decriminalization - to raise money for treatment of the effects of more dangerous drugs.

Campbell voiced the idea Saturday at the annual meeting of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association.

"Taxes levied on marijuana sales could add to the resources for treatment. Remember, the B.C. marijuana trade is estimated at $6 billion (US$4.4 billion) annually - larger than construction or forestry," Campbell said.

The mayor, a former Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer and coroner, also noted that the potential savings on law enforcement efforts from legalizing pot could further enhance treatment policing of other crimes.

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Too bad they don't live in this country!!

someone who gets it right!~

Canada is just so far ahead of us in so many ways...

show that it will never be implemented by any politician, anywhere.

Touche!

nt

I expect the tax on pot would be very, very low.
The taxes on booze and tobacco would be going up quite a bit though.

how do they plan to collect taxes if they're not going to decriminalize it?

eom

I hope we do legalize it and tax the hell out of it, like cigarettes and liqueur, not to mention toilet paper.

... in a strip mall, with racks of baggies under fluorescent lighting?

For the uninitiated, up here the government sells the "hard stuff" (spirits). Some provincial governments now allow limited numbers of private liquor stores, but growing up in Ontario, I remember that when people wanted a bottle of rum or whatever, you bought it from a government-run store! Until fairly recently, that went for beer and wine too. The billions of dollars are used for the health care and education systems ....

Anyway, everybody from auto mechanics to cabinet ministers would be going to the exact same type of store, staffed by government employees. Kind of egalitarian, really. Think about the DMV but with racks of BC Cobble Hill Merlot (or in Ontario, Andre's Baby Duck).

When I was old enough to drink, alcohol lost its sexiness and mystique pretty quickly, in that kind of marketing atmosphere. Picking up a bottle of wine or vodka is much like getting my driver' license renewed, or stopping by the passport office. Maybe this is actually a smart strategy on the part of the government.

p.s. the Vancouver mayor, Larry Campbell, is quite a cool guy. He used to be the coroner. There's a TV show based loosely on him -- "DaVinci's Inquest" -- the worn-out old briefcase carried by the lead, played by Nicholas Campbell (one of my favourite actors -- no relation to either Larry or Premier Gordo), is actually a hand-me-down from the mayor ...

What a hoot! It seems to me that the smart move would be to do exactly that, set up shop, lol.

Not to malign the liquor store staff (BCGEU union members), but they are pretty low-key about the wares ... no razzle-dazzle promotions and high-pressure sales tactics (which in my opinion is a GOOD thing). The government print shop, which sells maps etc., has nicer displays ... if you want people who can remove the allure from a $50 bottle of cognac, we've got 'em!

Turning pot sales over the the goverment might be the best thing to discourage drug use among teens. I was in the local BC Liquor Store on the weekend for some vodka (raw materials -- a friend gave me a recipe for Italian Lemon Liqueur) and practically every customer was over the age of 50. Not exactly a hip and happening place.

to ditch the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937; it doesn't seem to generate substantial revenue and it seems to be a tax for the sake of a tax.

Where are all those anti-tax folk on this important issue?

I'm glad I haven't been holding my breath ... :)