Log in

View Full Version : 25% Tax is shelved for now



pepurr
02-22-2010, 05:52 PM
Hello all,

I am new here, so I want to say hello to everyone. Now I am going to bitch about something I read yesterday.

I read that, Sen. John Sapien, a first-term Democrat from Corrales, had introduced legislation that would apply a 25 percent excise tax on the value of medical marijuana sold by producers, as well as a gross receipts tax on its purchase by patients. Sapien told The Independent he had not heard of any other proposals to tax medicine or drugs recommended as treatments by physicians.

I also read that because of stiff opposition it was shelved for this session. In my book, shelved does not equal dead. I wager they will continue to push this bill later. Don't let them do it! New mexico does not tax other prescription drugs. They shouldn't tax MMJ.

Speaking of wager, the short sighted people in our capital lost $200 million on bad investments when the housing bubble went bust. Now they scramble to make up a short fall caused by their blunder. Taxing MMJ is one of the ways they want to remedy this short budget.

I think it kind of speaks about the hypocrisy of government. They don't want to allow growers to profit from the sale of MMJ, but yet they want the state to profit from it. And worse yet, they want to profit from one of the groups of people least able to afford it. From the sick and infirm.

Mark my words. This bill will be reintroduced. Don't ever let it pass. Even if we have to march on the capital to have our voices heard.

Ok, now that I have that out of my system, I'll tell you a little about myself.

I am 52 years old and have Hepatitis C. Soon I'll start chemo to have my 50% chance of clearing this virus. What I have read about the side effects of chemo scares me, so I am glad I live in New Mexico. At least I have the opportunity to get a natural drug to relieve my suffering.

It has taken me a long time to get to this point. Almost a year. The VA moves slowly some times. One thing that set me back was that they found I had a gastric ulcer. They would not start chemo till it was gone. Next month I am going to have another upper GI to see how it looks. I sure hope and pray it is gone. I am tired of set backs.

I hope you all are doing well, and have no stress.

Peace :thumbsup:

personified
02-22-2010, 06:39 PM
TO TAX OR NOT? It is a dilemma I agree.

In theory hemp is suppose to be tax free according to our founding fathers. However to look at it from a current view if it is taxed freely it will be that much closer to legitimacy.

Taxing is it most staunch reason it will become main stream.

Trust me I do not like taxes any more than the next person. You must not forget that it is in the top 3 cash crops and even norml and mpp say it is a revenue generator vs the cost with the war on drugs.

pepurr
02-22-2010, 06:51 PM
You make a very good point personified.

I think if they want to tax it, they should also legalize it. But as long as it is only legal as a drug to proper card holding people, I say no tax.

personified
02-22-2010, 07:54 PM
I do not think 25% tax is appropriate either. It should be taxed like either a medicinal drug or closer to liquor perhaps both.

coolslayer
02-23-2010, 10:04 AM
Hello all,

I am new here, so I want to say hello to everyone. Now I am going to bitch about something I read yesterday.

I read that, Sen. John Sapien, a first-term Democrat from Corrales, had introduced legislation that would apply a 25 percent excise tax on the value of medical marijuana sold by producers, as well as a gross receipts tax on its purchase by patients. Sapien told The Independent he had not heard of any other proposals to tax medicine or drugs recommended as treatments by physicians.

I also read that because of stiff opposition it was shelved for this session. In my book, shelved does not equal dead. I wager they will continue to push this bill later. Don't let them do it! New mexico does not tax other prescription drugs. They shouldn't tax MMJ.

Speaking of wager, the short sighted people in our capital lost $200 million on bad investments when the housing bubble went bust. Now they scramble to make up a short fall caused by their blunder. Taxing MMJ is one of the ways they want to remedy this short budget.

I think it kind of speaks about the hypocrisy of government. They don't want to allow growers to profit from the sale of MMJ, but yet they want the state to profit from it. And worse yet, they want to profit from one of the groups of people least able to afford it. From the sick and infirm.

Mark my words. This bill will be reintroduced. Don't ever let it pass. Even if we have to march on the capital to have our voices heard.

Ok, now that I have that out of my system, I'll tell you a little about myself.

I am 52 years old and have Hepatitis C. Soon I'll start chemo to have my 50% chance of clearing this virus. What I have read about the side effects of chemo scares me, so I am glad I live in New Mexico. At least I have the opportunity to get a natural drug to relieve my suffering.

It has taken me a long time to get to this point. Almost a year. The VA moves slowly some times. One thing that set me back was that they found I had a gastric ulcer. They would not start chemo till it was gone. Next month I am going to have another upper GI to see how it looks. I sure hope and pray it is gone. I am tired of set backs.

I hope you all are doing well, and have no stress.

Peace :thumbsup:

There is a new antiviral treatment coming soon that takes less time and does a better job in clearing the virus.You might want to research that.

New Era In Hepatitis C Treatment? (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090605112257.htm)

Hepatitis C Treatments - Hepatitis C Drugs in Development (http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/hepC/HCVDrugs.html)

pepurr
02-23-2010, 12:00 PM
There is a new antiviral treatment coming soon that takes less time and does a better job in clearing the virus.You might want to research that.

New Era In Hepatitis C Treatment? (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090605112257.htm)

Hepatitis C Treatments - Hepatitis C Drugs in Development (http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/hepC/HCVDrugs.html)

Sounds great!

According to this;

Medical News: DDW: Telaprevir Improves HCV Clearance in Resistant Patients - in Meeting Coverage, DDW from MedPage Today (http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/DDW/14515)

FDA approval for Telaprevir is about 1.5 years away. This paper was dated June 2009, so I subtacted a half a year due to the age of the post.

Seems to be another tough desision. Do I go ahead and start now and be done with it in Feb. 2011, or wait and be done in Feb. 2012.

I have been waiting so long already, and I am not geetting any younger.

If I wait I could be through when I am 54 years old.
If I don't wait I could be done when I am 53, but with less chance for SVR.
If I wait I could be miserable for less time, 24 weeks verses 48 weeks.
If I don't wait I might not get SVR, and be miserable for 48 weeks for nothing.


I have an appointment this week with my doctor. I will sure bring this up. Thanks for the info.

coolslayer
02-24-2010, 03:03 AM
Yeah,its a tough decision.I wish you all the best with your treatment.