NORML Breaking News: Marijuana Legalization Bills Introduced In Massachusetts

[hygrade]

pasted from the norml website:
California’s highly publicized effort to legalize the commercial cultivation and sale of cannabis is getting some well-deserved company!

A pair of bills — House Bill 2929 and Senate Bill 1801 — seeking to “tax and regulate the cannabis industry” have just been introduced in the Massachusetts legislature.

These proposals seek to legally regulate the commercial production and distribution of marijuana for adults over 21 years of age. Like California’s proposal, they would impose licensing requirements and excise taxes on the retail sale of cannabis. By some estimates, these taxes could raise nearly $100 million in annual state revenue.

Adults who possess or grow marijuana for personal use, or who engage in the non-profit transfer of cannabis, would not be subject to taxation under the law.

You can read more about these bills at the new website: http://www.cantaxreg.com. If you live in Massachusetts, we urge you to write your elected officials in support of H. 2929 and S. 1801 by going here.

“Decades of whispered grumblings about the wisdom and efficacy of prohibition is rapidly giving way to a serious—really serious public discussion about how to replace it,” said former NORML Board Member Richard Evans, who assisted in drafting the landmark legislation. “Those who consider themselves leaders in government and the media have the obligation to either show how prohibition can be made to work, or join in the exploration of alternatives.”

We can’t think of a better place to begin this discussion on the east coast than Massachusetts, where last November 65 percent of voters endorsed a statewide initiative reclassifying marijuana possession as a fine-only offense under state law. Will a majority of Bay State voters also support legalization? We may soon find out!

[Delta-9]

cool finally we can see some light at the end of the tunnel.:thumbsup: :D
im gonna inform all my friends to write in and support this bill. if we go medical that would be great :D i will immediately become a care giver if this all goes thru;):icon_smil and if its anything like Cali i will have no problem going medical myself. i dont have any physical pains but i have crazy anxiety. i know in Cali you can get a card for that. but i was just informed some med states do not consider that a reason to get a Med Card. so i hope we end up having the same type of system that Cali has.

[solo]

This is fuckin crazy in a great way,I cant beleive how much mommentum we have built up in th past few years, we are getting there!

[midnitefarmer]

Maybe someday the movement.catch hold in the south.....:blazed:

[Edward Scissorhash]

cool finally we can see some light at the end of the tunnel.:thumbsup: :D
im gonna inform all my friends to write in and support this bill. if we go medical that would be great :D i will immediately become a care giver if this all goes thru;):icon_smil and if its anything like Cali i will have no problem going medical myself. i dont have any physical pains but i have crazy anxiety. i know in Cali you can get a card for that. but i was just informed some med states do not consider that a reason to get a Med Card. so i hope we end up having the same type of system that Cali has.


Actually it sounds like no med cards to be issued, rather seems like it will be a stamp/tax system. Which is WAY better IMO.
I support the complete decrim/legalization, the whole MMJ thing is a cop-out for what really needs to happen. Qualifying med conditions are bullshit, and it seems once a head has a qualifying condition they become holier-than-thou over the non-qualifying smokers. I have heard a thousand times from patients and caregivers how "it should be legal for those who really need it". Fuck that, we all need it.We ALL started smoking/ingesting to get HIGH, not to treat a prevailing medical condition.. Lets face it, we're stoners and we just want to smoke our weed in peace. In Colo. I qualified because I have GERD, lol, and while the weed does work Prilosec works better and its WAY cheaper. I like to get stoned, the GERD is just an excuse for me to do that, and caregive, without going to the slammer for too long. I do, against my will, comply with the fucked up regulations placed upon my grow by the state. Times are changing in the Scissor house tho, fuck this pansy-ass compliance shit. OVERGROW NOW.

[Delta-9]

Actually it sounds like no med cards to be issued, rather seems like it will be a stamp/tax system. Which is WAY better IMO.
I support the complete decrim/legalization, the whole MMJ thing is a cop-out for what really needs to happen. Qualifying med conditions are bullshit, and it seems once a head has a qualifying condition they become holier-than-thou over the non-qualifying smokers. I have heard a thousand times from patients and caregivers how "it should be legal for those who really need it". Fuck that, we all need it.We ALL started smoking/ingesting to get HIGH, not to treat a prevailing medical condition.. Lets face it, we're stoners and we just want to smoke our weed in peace. In Colo. I qualified because I have GERD, lol, and while the weed does work Prilosec works better and its WAY cheaper. I like to get stoned, the GERD is just an excuse for me to do that, and caregive, without going to the slammer for too long. I do, against my will, comply with the fucked up regulations placed upon my grow by the state. Times are changing in the Scissor house tho, fuck this pansy-ass compliance shit. OVERGROW NOW.
if thats the way it goes with a Stamp tax does that mean anyone over 21 can grow and pay taxes? or would you most likely still need a doctor to prescribe it?

[SFC]

I only hope the Great lakes State is looking at this too. We could use the money here. Great news though, and I agree Solo, the groundswell of momentum the last couple years is surreal.

[Edward Scissorhash]

if thats the way it goes with a Stamp tax does that mean anyone over 21 can grow and pay taxes? or would you most likely still need a doctor to prescribe it?

Over 21, pay the fee's/stamps and grow. How it should be brother, lets hope.
There have been mj tax/stamp systems in the past, I think it was like $7 per zip or something. Can't remember what state or when tho lol.
This could generate huge revenues. Of course, that would just mean more for our government to squander, and not bring any citizen tax relief, but hey..........

[Edward Scissorhash]

Of course this is a CBS poll sooo........
Anyway you guys in southern states, and AZ or Utah lol, good luck. IDT it'll happen anytime soon.

Poll: Americans Oppose Legalizing Marijuana, Lowering Drinking Age
Posted by Brian Montopoli | 158



(CBS)
A majority of Americans oppose legalizing marijuana and lowering the drinking age even if it would mean economic benefits for cash-strapped state and local governments, a new CBS News survey finds.

Fifty-eight percent of Americans say marijuana should be illegal, even after being presented with the idea that the drug could be taxed. Thirty-one percent say it should be legal, while another seven percent say it should be legal if it is taxed and the money goes to projects.

California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano introduced a bill in his economically struggling state calling for legalizing the drug and regulating it in much the same way alcohol is regulated. The California Board of Equalization, which collects taxes, estimates California’s possible revenue from doing so at $1.3 billion per year.

More than 500 economists, including Milton Friedman, have endorsed the notion of legalizing marijuana for the potential economic benefits taxing it could provide. President Obama opposes marijuana legalization.

Read The Entire Poll (PDF)

Asked about whether they favored lowering the drinking age to 18 – a change, they were told, that could allow police more time to enforce laws besides underage drinking – roughly three in four Americans expressed their opposition. Just 24 percent said they favored such a move.

The strongest support for lowering the drinking age comes from Americans under 30, but even six in ten in this group are opposed.

As CBS’ 60 Minutes reported last month, some believe that lowering the drinking age could actually make young people safer, though others strongly disagree.

[radracer]

I only hope the Great lakes State is looking at this too. We could use the money here. Great news though, and I agree Solo, the groundswell of momentum the last couple years is surreal.



I hear ya SFC and hope so too... That could be big if it passes in MASS. All the other states will see the money they are missing out on and they will follow suit.
its just a matter of time:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[Delta-9]

Over 21, pay the fee's/stamps and grow. How it should be brother, lets hope.
There have been mj tax/stamp systems in the past, I think it was like $7 per zip or something. Can't remember what state or when tho lol.
This could generate huge revenues. Of course, that would just mean more for our government to squander, and not bring any citizen tax relief, but hey..........
that is how it should be :thumbsup: i just hope the state realizes the money they can make if they put this in place and gets on the ball to pass this:D
$7 a zip is great:icon_smil here is a pic of the old tax stamp that was impossible to get $3.50 a gram:eek: that can get pricey. hope they renew the stamps.
http://www.goingpostalt-shirts.com/MarijuanaTaxStampT-shirts/Images/Mass.jpg

[Delta-9]

now im not up on my politics. but when they enter a bill like this how long does it usually take for it to move threw the system. :dunno: :stumped:
:pothead:

[gnarly]

now im not up on my politics. but when they enter a bill like this how long does it usually take for it to move threw the system. :dunno: :stumped:
:pothead:

more than 90 days? :rasta2:

[Delta-9]

i was just reading that there gonna try to tax MA.. growers 300$ for an OZ.:lmao:
it should be a 50-75 an oz. type deal or something along those lines.
IMO if they do not lower the tax there not gonna make much money come tax time.:fucku: most people will not even pay

[canabian]

I agree 100%!!

I understand that MJ helps with many ailments, but just like ya said Ed, we all started smoking because we enjoy the high. and who should be able to decide who should and shouldn't be able to smoke? Sure I have anxiety/adhd and herb 'helps' with that, but why shouldn't the undiagnosed, or the average able body citizen be able to legally enjoy cannabis?

I hate how they are looking at this issue as a money grab, rather than an invasion of privacy and rights! Hell I think the politicians should have to have mandatory smoking sessions so they I dunno.. Think about the average citizen and try to better the country, not the wealthy elite.

Glad to see that there is momentum on the Cannabis freedom front! I still haven't heard much about anything up here in regards to change in legislation, but I hope in the near future we have complete cannabis freedom.


Actually it sounds like no med cards to be issued, rather seems like it will be a stamp/tax system. Which is WAY better IMO.
I support the complete decrim/legalization, the whole MMJ thing is a cop-out for what really needs to happen. Qualifying med conditions are bullshit, and it seems once a head has a qualifying condition they become holier-than-thou over the non-qualifying smokers. I have heard a thousand times from patients and caregivers how "it should be legal for those who really need it". Fuck that, we all need it.We ALL started smoking/ingesting to get HIGH, not to treat a prevailing medical condition.. Lets face it, we're stoners and we just want to smoke our weed in peace. In Colo. I qualified because I have GERD, lol, and while the weed does work Prilosec works better and its WAY cheaper. I like to get stoned, the GERD is just an excuse for me to do that, and caregive, without going to the slammer for too long. I do, against my will, comply with the fucked up regulations placed upon my grow by the state. Times are changing in the Scissor house tho, fuck this pansy-ass compliance shit. OVERGROW NOW.