300% tax on mmj bill HB 2557

AZ state representatives Kyrsten Sinema, David Shapira, and Steve Farley are supporting a truly inhumane bill just introduced in the late afternoon of 1/26/2011: Arizona's H.B.2557, which has been correctly deemed The Drug Cartel Empowerment Act. This bill would set medical marijuana taxes at a shocking 300%, which would effectively and unconstitutionally kill Prop 203 (the AZ Medical Marijuana Act).

PDF version of H.B.2557:
< http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/50leg/1r/bills/hb2557p.pdf >

We need medical marijuana supporters and their families and friends to contact these people IMMEDIATELY to tell them that you DO NOT SUPPORT H.B.2557, The Drug Cartel Empowerment Act. Here is their contact information:

Kyrsten Sinema:
Phone Number: (602) 926-5058
Email Address: [email protected]
< http://www.azleg.gov/MembersPage.asp...Legislature=48 >

David Schapira:
Phone Number: (602) 926-3028
Email Address: [email protected]
< http://www.azleg.gov/MembersPage.asp...Session_ID=102 >

Steve Farley:
Phone Number: (602) 926-3022
Email Address: [email protected]
< http://www.azleg.gov/MembersPage.asp...Session_ID=102 >

I'm not sure I understand this really.

So if dispensaries want mmj patients to have access at prices (ridiculous inflated prices) the industry is used to in other states, i.e. $300/oz... then they will have to make their price $100/oz, and the patient is charged $300, $200 of which goes to the State?

Is that right?

Just ballparking, I would imagine a dispensary's cost of goods sold on an ounce of marijuana would be something like $50 or so. So now we have dispensaries making $50 on each ounce sold rather than $250 on each ounce sold.

If that is right, perhaps the upside to the whole thing is:

A. We see people getting into the dispensary business who aren't just money-hungry profiteers and perhaps come from a place of compassion. This is assuming that making $50 per ounce makes the business viable at all after the associated fees for licensure, inspections, license renewal, surveillance, security, etc. (Which I think is doubtful.)

B. If dispensaries become non-viable entities and everybody abandons their plans, or there are simply fewer dispensaries in AZ... then more of us can enjoy home cultivation because we won't be within 25 miles of a non-existent dispensary.

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Originally Posted by MoHoGrow

I'm not sure I understand this really.

So if dispensaries want mmj patients to have access at prices (ridiculous inflated prices) the industry is used to in other states, i.e. $300/oz... then they will have to make their price $100/oz, and the patient is charged $300, $200 of which goes to the State?

Is that right?

Just ballparking, I would imagine a dispensary's cost of goods sold on an ounce of marijuana would be something like $50 or so. So now we have dispensaries making $50 on each ounce sold rather than $250 on each ounce sold.

If that is right, perhaps the upside to the whole thing is:

A. We see people getting into the dispensary business who aren't just money-hungry profiteers and perhaps come from a place of compassion. This is assuming that making $50 per ounce makes the business viable at all after the associated fees for licensure, inspections, license renewal, surveillance, security, etc. (Which I think is doubtful.)

B. If dispensaries become non-viable entities and everybody abandons their plans, or there are simply fewer dispensaries in AZ... then more of us can enjoy home cultivation because we won't be within 25 miles of a non-existent dispensary.

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C. Patients need to boycott all dispensaries out of business, then we can grow our own or have a caregiver grow for us.

First the bill is ridiculous. Trying to tax medical marijuana the same as cigarettes? Cigarettes KILL people and cause numerous health problems that cost society dearly.

Marijuana can be used to help people with multiple health problems from Cancer and AIDS, to mitigating pain. These are very important functions some of which can actually save people's lives! This tax is an outrage. This tax should be condemned by all.

Next one of the commentors before me thinks this will put out dipensaries out of business so that caregivers can now grow? (25 mile rule) Think again, these dispensaries are still going to open therefore drastically hindering home grows, now they would just be extremely expensive which would hurt the medical marijuana cause.

I urge all people who support the cause of Medical Marijuana to contact the representatives that support this embarrassing legislation. Email them your thoughts or call to say your do not support this legislation. Your email or call doesn't have to be long, just get across that you do not support this bill and you would not vote for someone who supports it.

If you believe in something, fight for it

This bill is a win for the patient. Keeping dispensaries from opening will allow patients and caregivers to grow their own.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nazman

This bill is a win for the patient. Keeping dispensaries from opening will allow patients and caregivers to grow their own.

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This is why the bill wont pass.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Smallville

This is why the bill wont pass.

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I agree.

I would like to see patients form an alliance to boycott all dispensaries out of business, then we can have our right to grow. Normally I would support my local dispensary but under the circumstances of the 25-mile rule I will never support a dispensary until the rule is changed.

It's ironic how DHS has completely ignored the patients, who this legislation was based on, and spent more time mucking around with Dispensary issues. So you now have a situation where MM cards are being approved and issued to the patients, but the only way they'll have any medication is if they grow it themselves.
Keep in mind that many of these patients are in serious pain and can barely stand up much less cultivate plants. Clearly there should have been some pro-active planning along the way where perhaps the powers that be would have permitted some reciprocity with dispensaries in CA for the time being as a source for medication.