Pubdate: Wed, 28 Sep 2005
Source: Daily News, The (Longview, WA)
Copyright: 2005 The Daily News
Contact: http://www.tdn.com/forms/letters.php
Website: http://www.tdn.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2621
Author: Kirk Muse

TAX MARIJUANA INSTEAD

I'm writing about your thoughtful Sept. 21 editorial titled, "County
gave its best efforts with meth tax."

Instead of increasing the existing sales taxes, why not tax a product
that is now completely untaxed? Why not tax marijuana? Instead of
attempting to nullify the immutable law of supply and demand, our
government should regulate, control and tax it. We could easily tax
marijuana at about 90 percent of its retail price. The vast majority
of marijuana's current price is the result of the "prohibition tax"
which is now going to organized crime.

It seems to me that non-marijuana users would be in favor of taxing a
product that they don't use. Around here, taxing somebody else's vice
is very popular.

Most marijuana users are only interested in marijuana and no other
illegal drugs. However, when marijuana is not available at a
reasonable price, they often switch to other drugs --- like meth.

And marijuana is not available at a reasonable price. The price of
marijuana has increased from $10 an ounce in the early 1970s to
several hundred dollars an ounce today. Therefore, we have a meth epidemic.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake