House Dems Introduce Bills to Legalize and Tax Marijuana Industry

Pot would be regulated by the 'Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana and Firearms'

Open your minds and your pocketbooks, man. A pair of bills introduced Tuesday by House Democrats would legalize marijuana and tax the industry.

Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., sponsored a bill that would classify pot as a substance similar to alcohol and regulate it through a newly named "Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana and Firearms."

The legislation doesn't force states to legalize marijuana. But in states that have chosen to allow marijuana for medical or recreational use, related businesses will no longer run the risk of being raided by federal agents, Polis said.

"Congress should simply allow states to regulate marijuana as they see fit and stop wasting federal tax dollars on the failed drug war," Polis said in a press release.

A second bill would set up a federal tax on the newly legal marijuana industry, to offset the cost of regulation. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., proposed the bill that imposes taxes on people dealing with marijuana, like producers and importers. There would be penalties for those who don't pay the taxes. The bill asks the IRS to study the pot industry to come up with other recommendations.

"We are in the process of a dramatic shift in the marijuana policy landscape," Blumenauer said.

Via the Hill and Politix

Is it a good idea to legalize marijuana and tax the industry at the federal level?

[MongoAPillager]

Santa Claws wins again,a stoned population is an controllable population,one more ring to bind them LOL

[drpeeper]

LOL Gays and pot. If you took those topics away from the left they would be speechless. It reminds me of the Monty Python skit where the Brits ran out of things to tax, so they propose taxing sex.

[MongoAPillager]

@drpeeper Whats the tax on condoms and other unspeakables??in honor of the noble Mr. Python,how about an tax on Spam?

[DogLady_1]

Oh yeah, like they aren't stoned now!

[DogLady_1]

@drpeeper - It isn't just the left that supports repealing prohibition. And if you think about it, if you took away pot and gays, the right would have no one to use as scapegoats.

[MongoAPillager]

@DogLady_1 yea,i guess considering the results of our last election,i guess you kind of sank my battleship

[PNWest]

We have a substantial budget deficit. Society has not benefited by marijuana being illegal. We spend billions of dollars on chasing down, arresting, prosecuting and imprisoning non violent marijuana users. This money could be much better spent on any number of things that would help the country. Just legalize pot and lets worry about real problems.

[LGRepublican]

If people are going to do it anyway, we might as well make some money off it.....

[hankf68]

maybe the billions not spent on "the" war would offset the need to tax it, idk, I'd rather see it not taxed or regulated, but would support it anyway, it would be a step forward and anything to stop the insanity towards weed demonetization is good...

[PNWest]

@hankf68 I don't care if they tax it or not. People should not be prosecuted for smoking pot. Let people grow it at home with laws similar to home wine making and home beer making. Tax commercial growers like we do alcohol. The whole idea of prosecuting people for smoking dope has been a failure. We should be going after Al Qaeda not Hippy Dippy Al the Weatherman.

[hankf68]

@PNWest ...agreed

[GmanGSW]

@PNWest
I also agree.

[SignifiedNBlue]

Society will dealing suffer from potheads

[SignifiedNBlue]

Dearly*

[DogLady_1]

Do you really there are no potheads now??? Society already suffers from drunks and potheads... If you think laws can make us drug-free, explain why we aren't already drug-free and explain why only some drugs are illegal and others are not.

[SignifiedNBlue]

@DogLady_1 we might as well legalize crack and meth, too

[DogLady_1]

@SignifiedNBlue - Indeed! Meth has been around for a very long time... if it were legal, we could regulate its production make our neighborhoods safer... it would also reduce the barriers to addicts reaching out and asking for help. There is nothing more dangerous than home labs, blackmarket cartels and turf wars all created by prohibition... the drug war is far more dangerous than drugs. This is exactly why alcohol prohibition was repealed nearly 100 years ago... today's meth = yesterday's bathtub gin.

[Libertyiskey]

@SignifiedNBlue We certainly should, or decriminalize the use of it so we don't have to pay billions of dollars a year for people in jail for petty drug use.

[AceLuby]

Well, like the last bill these will unfortunately go down in flames. The same people crying about the budget deficit want to spend $50 billion a year on the DEA, arrest a million people a year on the taxpayers dime, spend billions per year housing these 'criminals', and not receive any income for these efforts except on the backs of working Americans.

[DogLady_1]

Urge your U.S. representative to regulate marijuana like alcohol!

History has occurred in Congress! On February 5, 2013, Representative Jared Polis (D-CO) introduced a bill to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol at the federal level. Following MPP’s historic 2012 ballot initiative victory in Colorado, making the personal use and cultivation of marijuana legal for all adults, along with a similar initiative in Washington State, members of Congress now see the writing on the wall. They know it is only a matter of time before the cultivation and sale of marijuana is legal across the country. This bill establishes a regulatory structure for marijuana at the federal level. Please ask your U.S. representative to support this bill.
http://mpp.org/

[jessejaymes]

I just wrote both Senators and am in the process of writing each and every federal representative in the state.

[DogLady_1]

@jessejaymes - Kudos! I've done it too, plus my state has a medical mj bill in the house that I am supporting... Thanks for supporting liberty!

[puppybrownie]

Government screws up everything they touch. Legalize pot, but treat it like aspirin, it's none of your business how much I buy or use. If they want to put an income tax on sellers, fine. I'll just move to Florida!

[AceLuby]

Or treat like alcohol... which is what they are suggesting. It should be treated exactly like beer and wine, legal for adults, punishable to give to underage kids, and if you want you make it yourself for personal consumption, you can. Seems reasonable.

[Center]

@AceLuby marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol. People don't smoke and beat up their wives. I agree with you on this.

[mrcamillon]

@Center i have never heard of a person doing the reefer and doing any thing less then a few feet from the frig this is why it such a great help for cancer paients

[puppybrownie]

@mrcamillon It might get rid of anorexia too, I can't believe Dr. Phil hasn't thought of that when he has them on his show!

[mrcamillon]

@puppybrownie my self i do not smoke when i did if it was good stuff i couldnot find my way to work

[DogLady_1]

Law Enforcement Leaders Ask Department of Justice to Respect State Marijuana Laws:

a former narcotics cop delivered a letter signed by 73 current and former police officers, judges, prosecutors and federal agents to Attorney General Eric Holder urging him not to interfere with the wishes of the voters of Colorado and Washington State to legalize and regulate marijuana.

"We seem to be at a turning point in how our society deals with marijuana," said Neill Franklin, executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, the group that authored the letter. "The war on marijuana has funded the expansion of drug cartels, it has destroyed community-police relations and it has fostered teenage use by creating an unregulated market where anyone has easy access. Prohibition has failed. Pretty much everyone knows it, especially those of us who dedicated our lives to enforcing it. The election results show that the people are ready to try something different. The opportunity clearly exists for President Obama and Attorney General Holder to do the right thing and respect the will of the voters."

http://copssaylegalize.blogspot.com/2012/11/l...

[Wooky]

I hope this passes I need to supplement my income!

[Buzzfriendly]

The one thing that might actually get me to vote democrat.

[Gtiallday]

Hmmm let's see, keep spending billions yearly on a complete failer or make billions of dollars a year by taxing and legalizing? It really is a no brainer.

[Tralee]

LOL - Dems. are in favor of ANYTHING they can tax, marijuana? no problemo, just tax it, illegal drugs? no problemo, just tax it. What else will they find themselves perfectly ok with next so they can levy a tax on it too?

[jessejaymes]

If we can just figure out a way to tax the stupidity of both the far right and left the deficit is closed overnight.

[Tralee]

@jessejaymes LOL - a "Too Stupid to Be Out Alone" Tax would be well received by most.

[jaybebo84]

Finally, something I can support out of the Democratic camp...just because it is legal doesn't mean everyone is going to start using...I don't smoke, chew, or dip tobacco and it is legal...I drink but I don't drive will intoxicated...this will relieve tax burdens and add more taxes to the coffer to hopefully pay down the debt...is that wishful thinking...

[Cheenoguy]

It amazes me the number of "small government" conservatives who prefer the goverment prosecuting and imprisoning pot users over regulating like alcohol.
If Rand Paul was behind this half of them would take up crack in support.

[PayThatCEO]

If the police weren't so busy chasing pot smokers, maybe they could focus on getting some of the dangerous criminals off the street.

[callmecrazy]

Don't just blame conservatives. Progressives played a big part in getting marijuana banned in the first place and they also helped pass prohibition...for a better society of course lmao...now they've moved on to big sodas bahaha

[jessejaymes]

Well I don't think it's going to happen in my lifetime but you have to start somewhere and it will happen.

[Fishbone345]

Bout time they realize what a waste the War on Drugs has been. Maybe this is the first step towards not throwing money at a bottomless pit anymore.

[Litdes]

New revenue streams are new revenue streams. Why not cash in? We already have laws regarding public intoxication and driving under the influence.

[Canoochee]

Long road to go to get any drugs legalized. Local LE is not going to willingly or even quietly give up the money they are making on asset forfeitures.

[Canoochee]

Note how the pro war on (some) drugs folks believe that legalizing drugs will cause massive numbers of people to start using. That logic is just as poor as the gun grabbers who believe widespread possession of firearms will cause massive numbers of people to start shooting their neighbors, coworkers etc...

[Canoochee]

Children have a much easier time getting illegal drugs than they do alcohol. These drugs if legalized and regulated will become more difficult for underage kids to obtain.

[zeke]

I wish that pot smoking was all we had to worry about where i live, believe me it would be a blessing! Our biggest problem is illegal use of prescription drugs period. I don't know anyone in my family or circle of friends who has'nt been adversley effected by this poision dumped on us by doctors and big pharma compaines!