The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws NORML has been striving since 1970 to ‘move public opinion sufficiently to legalize the responsible use of marijuana by adults, and to serve as an advocate for consumers to assure they have access to high quality marijuana that is safe, convenient and affordable.’
It has come down hard on two proposals under consideration by California legislators regarding taxing commercial medical marijuana. Briefly, these suggestions are:
– SB 987 – by Sen. McGuire (Healdsburg) seeking to apply a 15% excise tax ON TOP of the prevailing sales tax of 7.5% and more, PLUS local business levies where these apply
– AB 2243 – submitted by Asm. Wood (Headsburg) wanting to impose a cultivation tax of $9.25 PER OUNCE on medical marijuana flowers, $2.75 PER OUNCE on leaves, and $1.25 ON EACH immature plant sold to licensed distributors in the state.
NORML has strongly condemned these efforts as ‘excessive and premature, given the costs would fall exclusively on medical consumers.’ Moreover, the legislative program might face criticism as causing confusion given the following overlaps with other legislation pending.
This November, Californians will vote for the ‘legalize and tax’ AUMA (Adult Use of Marijuana) Act intended to tax all forms of marijuana on similar lines to the two medical marijuana bills. The State of California seems hell bent on ‘punishing’ social and medical users with a battery of excessive taxes, way beyond anything possible to justify disregarding the unjustness of taxing medicine.
California NORML director Dale Gieringer was not pulling punches at the legislative hearing when he said, ‘At this time when providers already face burdensome new costs under the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act, it is unwise and inappropriate to impose any new state tax on medical marijuana.’
If successful, local law enforcement, state regulation, and environmental enforcement related to cultivation will benefit, although rubbing their hands in anticipation may be premature. Both bills under current consideration require 2/3 majorities to succeed as is the policy with all California tax laws, and that outcome is by no means certain.
At last week’s hearings of SB 987 Sen. Jim Beall (D-San Jose) was seriously concerned about taxing marijuana ‘in view of the many patients with serious medical need and limited financial means’. With his back apparently to the wall, the proposer conceded he was seeking an amendment on behalf of ‘medically needy users’.