Marijuana Tax stamp.

[chemlove]

Albany, NY -- If you want to smoke pot, you have to pay taxes.Gov. Eliot Spitzer's budget proposal included a bill that would require all marijuana and other controlled substances in the state to have a tax stamp. Twenty-nine states, from Massachusetts to Nevada, currently tax drugs.

Spitzer estimates the collection could bring in $13 million this fiscal year, and $17 million the next.
Budget officials said they researched other states' laws to come up with the fees and regulations, though they were doubtful many dealers or users would contact the Department of Taxation and Finance. If people brought in on charges had drugs without a tax stamp, they would then be charged the appropriate taxes.
The bill sets a tax stamp rate for marijuana of $3.50 per gram, and for other controlled substances $200 per gram, regardless of purity. The bill includes a confidentiality clause, which would allow people to request a tax stamp from the state and, in return, their information would not be given to the police.
Alcohol was also targeted in the budget proposal. One bill would place flavored malt beverages, such as hard lemonade, in a new, separate category of alcoholic beverages for taxing purposes. They would be taxed at the rate of $2.54 per gallon or 67 cents per liter. Beer is taxed at 11 cents per gallon.
Source: Newsday (NY)
Author: Melissa Mansfield
Published: January 23, 2008
Copyright: 2008 Newsday Inc.

http://cannabisnews.com/news/23/thread23614.shtml


sounds like a reshape of the old machine gun tax with some things added and dropped to match a new era. They say they wouldn't contact, but there is nothing there about how if caught a tax stamp would clear you of any wrong doing? Does anyone know more about this its pretty interesting.

[paranoid_android]

It's absolutely ridiculous. It doesn't absolve you of any wrongdoing, and nobody's going to get the stamps. It's just one more technicality that lets the government assrape you just a little bit more if you get caught.

[Pondlife]

It sounds like the "Embezzled or other illegal income" space on the tax form.

[Paracelsus]

"Let the feds do the big busts, and we (the state of New York) cut ourselves a big slice of the money."

Does taxation without legalization sound somewhat familiar?

[old hippie 56]

Here a link about this in Texas, don't know if they ever fine-tuned the law, since swim don't smoke or consume illegal substances.
http://ndsn.org/nov96/drugtax.html

Something about double jeopardy and other interesting tidbits.