It falls right into my theory of how every law does at least one of the four following things...
Takes away your rights
Benefits big corporations
Taxes you more
Creates more bloated govt
I knew as soon as wherever marijuana was legalized, taxes would immediately follow. I knew it. Even as politicians screamed “racism!” as an excuse to legalize marijuana, I knew it was for taxes only.
Virginia legalized last year, BUT they only issue 5 licenses, via a fucking raffle, per year to distributers. If that's not enough bullshit, it's hundreds of thousands of dollars for the licenses. On top of that, you have to be capable of "seed to sale" meaning you can't just grow or sell, you have to have large scale manufacturing and distribution facilities. Basically, only big companies can play. So all of the people making a living in the illegal industry, are still committing felonies, even though cannabis has been legalized. Big companies can grow, but you can't, even for personal use, if you get caught, prison.
Call ME crazy, but it looks like they are issuing licenses to their corporate buddies, and they still get to stuff their massive and bloated, for-profit, prison system full of whoever they want (IMO, Virginia stepped away from arresting mostly minorities, and is now "an equal opportunity" throw your ass in prison state).
Taxing it was literally a selling point to get the legislation passed.
It falls right into my theory of how every law does at least one of the four following things...
I knew as soon as wherever marijuana was legalized, taxes would immediately follow. I knew it. Even as politicians screamed “racism!” as an excuse to legalize marijuana, I knew it was for taxes only.
Virginia legalized last year, BUT they only issue 5 licenses, via a fucking raffle, per year to distributers. If that's not enough bullshit, it's hundreds of thousands of dollars for the licenses. On top of that, you have to be capable of "seed to sale" meaning you can't just grow or sell, you have to have large scale manufacturing and distribution facilities. Basically, only big companies can play. So all of the people making a living in the illegal industry, are still committing felonies, even though cannabis has been legalized. Big companies can grow, but you can't, even for personal use, if you get caught, prison.
Call ME crazy, but it looks like they are issuing licenses to their corporate buddies, and they still get to stuff their massive and bloated, for-profit, prison system full of whoever they want (IMO, Virginia stepped away from arresting mostly minorities, and is now "an equal opportunity" throw your ass in prison state).
I'm glad I left that state, for a lot of reasons.