Amendment 64

I was thinkin... *crowd groans* I haven't seen any estimates from any source on the size of the recreational weed market. Surely the bean counters at the revenue office have done an estimate? Sure they have, Wall Street has too. Here's an order of magnitude estimate for your general debate and/or derision.

From a google search, I learned that in 2007 there were 27 million overnight ski trips to CO. Figure 25% (too conservative? Or not conservative enough?) will buy an eighth and you have a revenue value of $200 mil. Further, I think a conservative estimate of the in-state revenue can be developed assuming a typical consumer will purchase (1) $50 1/4oz per month for 5% of population (nationwide polls show regular smokers as 1% of population, but we aren't exactly in the bible belt out here) Assuming that 5% of CO population are regular consumers, then this adds another $150mil per year. So, $350 million per year, but I bet that's low by 1/2, my money is on it being a half $billion market annually.... Or around 150,000 pounds of cannabis per year.

Just as an FYI, this amount of theoretical demand could be met with 12 of the commercial greenhouse complexes that was discussed in a different thread. Now back to consuming some more of da De La Haze, math makes me sober.

Don't know if anyone cares anymore, but there looks to be some recent movement in the House to take up the states rights bill which would give us relief from the CSA of 1970 on a state by state basis. That would mean that the drug free workplace act of 1985? would also be invalid in those states and we could tell our employers to pound sand to anything but a test for impairment while at work - thats the best that can be hoped for IMO and I am just starting to hope it could be real. The DOJs extended silence is telling I think...

If you are interested, you should check out this article by USAToday. Kind of makes me ill.... but the interesting part is the charts at the top. They are predicting a rise in legal mmj and rec. mj sales country wide from $1.5 billion to $3 billion from this year to next. Now some of that is expanding existing markets, but my bet is that they believe WA & CO recreational markets are worth $1.5 Billion. My guesstimate was $.5 Billion for CO, so looks like I'm more conservative than USAToday, but still in the ballpark.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/04/07/medical-marijuana-industry-growing-billion-dollar-business/2018759/

how bout this?
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_23112951/colorado-marijuana-legalization-backers-say-repeal-effort-is?IADID=Search-www.denverpost.com-www.denverpost.com

The legislators who think that they know what is best for the people and choose to ignore the will of the people are arrogant fucks.

I could be wrong, but I think the momentum is just too great to put the toothpaste back in the tube. A majority of Americans now think it should be legal.

I could see them pulling something like this, i also understand that without the additional taxes there will be no money to fund MMED and the rest of the regulatory process. I would def vote for 30% tax on sales, seems fairly reasonable if you really think about it, how much do you pay for taxes on ciggs? However if they pull this shit i may not vote for it, cause they should not have the ability to do this.

I don't get why they are throwing a threat at the voters?
Does it really matter how much they tax it, wouldn't anything below like 50% be fine, people have paid insane markup to smoke marijuana for years?
How much is alcohol and ciggs taxed? When i started i could get cartons for 18 now they are what 60 from taxes, people have always and will always pay well for these types of things if they choose to do them. And people who hate the prices can grow in the privacy of their home I think most things are well covered here.
Are they just throwing out an article to make the pot factions fight and hope it doesn't pass so they can repeal something the feds don't like?


And the reason laws are in place for regulation is so that it will be regulated. Does that mean every joe smoe cant sell pot out of their house? Yes? Why? Because it cant be regulated. It takes expensive fees to get a liqour license and if you open a bar or store you have to follow the law to the T. So yes it takes a bankroll to start up and that person bankrolling is going to want the rules to be followed or they wont be able to bankroll anything else because they will go broke with legal fees. We agreed on a age 21 law and if everyone could sell growers would eventually find out there are a 100000 other people trying to sell so only the big players are making money so they sell to anyone instead of obeying the law. You can argue its a plant and it should be free to do what ever you want with, but your way isnt appealing enough to get the frist steps in legalization moving and your way may not come for a long ass time because over 80 years of lies.

Tax should be as low as possible and "threatening" the voters with a repeal is totally not OK. "Like alcohol" was what we voted for, so let's do that.