Oregon collects $3.48 million in revenue from first month of taxed recreational marijuana sales

[swag]

Source: Oregonian

Oregon collected $3.48 million in taxes from recreational marijuana sales in January, far outpacing estimates and offering the first look at how much pot is moving through the state's newly regulated retail market.

The answer: a lot.

Oregon dispensaries sold at least $14 million worth of recreational marijuana in January alone. That figure doesn't take into account medical marijuana sales, which remain untaxed.

The collections for a single month exceed state economists' projections for the entire year. Officials expected between $2 million to $3 million after the state paid for the costs associated with regulation.


Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/marijuana/index.ssf/2016/03/first_month_of_taxed_recreatio.html#incart_river_mobile_home

[patricia92243]

1. I suppose it is too early yet to track a lowering of incarcerated people. That will not

only lower the people in jail for silly things, it will lower the cost to the state - in a gigantic way - of all the things included in running jails/prisons.

It will be interesting to see the TOTAL amount of money brought in and the money saved to the state. It should be a staggering amount and an example to other states - use some of that money on infrastructure, etc.

[Oak3Tree]

2. Capitalists accross the country are noticing

I think the nation wide legalization of marijuana will come about because of $$$$.

[dubyadiprecession]

3. Not if the Pharmaceutical companies think the will lose $$$$ in the process...

That is one of the big reasons why legalization didn't pass in Florida. Republicans are strongly against legalization.

[joshcryer]

4. Let them fight it out with big tobacco.

[Oak3Tree]

5. How does recreational pot involve the drug companies?

I don't know much about what has been happening with the legalizing process. I just think that a plant from the earth, well, let people use it if they want to and not go to jail. It all sounds so ridiculous to me.

[AllyCat]

9. The private prisons want us to go to jail. Big Pharma is worried because people will be healthier

and not need the poisons they peddle us for our life savings and lifesaving.

No research is allowed to be conducted on marijuana medicinally in this country because it is a schedule I drug. If it is recreational, people will start doing their own experiments (like they already have) and corroborate what marijuana users have been telling us for a long time: effective treatment for anxiety and depression, appetite stimulant, anti-emetic, probably treats some cancers.

If marijuana is legal, it is only a matter of time before the people demand testing to be done and it comes off the Schedule. That will really hurt big pharma because they will have competition. There is a reason Clinton has only defended moving marijuana from Schedule I to II---then there could be research her pharmaceutical backers could use to make money. But we will still go to jail.

And don't forget about the private prisons. They will lose business.

[Oak3Tree]

30. comes down to $$$$

it always does. Greed is a very serious problem.

Sounds like we need Bernie to get some new laws going, for instance pharm company's need to be non-profits!

Thanks for your post. I appreciate the information and to connect via virtual chat.

Peace

[MidwestTech]

12. Because it's one of the better "DO NOT drive a car while using" Pain meds out there

In fact when my back was acting up this year I would have about killed for some pot.
NOTHING I was given truly worked and I don't even want to think of what all those meds did to my liver.
IF I had been able to smoke some medical pot or vape oil I about guarantee that my pain would have gone down much faster!
The medical pot laws in MN are ridiculous.
You have to literally be dying from the right disease to get it!
oh well

/rant

[musiclawyer]

49. Painkillers. The kind doctors dispense like candy.

Are easily replaced by weed in many many instances. And weed has no negative side effects.
People with pain who experience weed either don't go back to pharmaceuticals or greatly reduce their use.

[Dustlawyer]

8. It will take Texas and the rest of the South awhile to catch up, as usual!

Medical marijuana would help me tremendously as I am allergic to almost all medications for my condition and my body builds a to,erance to the ones I can take. I suffer from moderate to severe chronic pain 24/7/365 and pot is the only thing that ever gives me a little pain free time. I discovered that while in Calfornia. Back in Texas I get drug tested several times a year though I have never broken any laws, failed a test, been arrested....

[Oak3Tree]

29. What's up with that????

Someone is testing you for drug use because you are in pain 24/7.

You have my compassion.

Have you considered moving? I would assume you have.

[Dustlawyer]

45. Kids and grandkids are here, I would rather hurt than leave.

A little too late in the game for me to start over as well. It's a shame they have politicized it, it would really help a lot of people a great deal.

[sorefeet]

6. A couple of creeps are

trying to get it on the ballot to make ALL marijuana illegal in Montana. We have had medical marijuana for 10 or 12 years now with no problems, but these self righteous Mormons who are trying to own the state, think they know what's best. Montana has always been 20 years behind the rest of the country.

[LittleGirl]

10. no worse than Indiana ! eom

[Sunlei]

7. Tax revenue is in the billions across America,even with the extreme "over regulated spending costs"

And most states force stores to sell only in cash, no bank use allowed.

[BBG]

13. Actually it's the federal regulations

On banks and banking that forces dispensaries to a cash business. Several senators from CO, OR and WA have introduced a banking bill to change this.

[Ruby the Liberal]

36. The Senate CARERS bill addresses this

Kristen Gilibrand, Cory Booker and Rand Paul sponsored it.

It gets the Feds out of state business, but doesn't address scheduling (I don't think thats a congressional thing?)

One of the provisions is to remove federal laws that prohibit banks from dealing with the cannabis industry in states where it is legal (whether thats MMJ or recreational).

This bill is HUGE in its implications. Today, NY and NJ are both struggling to get their MMJ programs off the ground because Doctors are terrified (and rightly so) about losing prescribing licenses. Lose that over some trumped up cannabis charge and you can't even wire a ticket to renew someone's insulin.

This bill doesn't go that far (today), but the precedent it would send would reverberate.

[Sunlei]

37. some state citizens have filed federal 'rico' cases against MJ shopkeepers, and won.

awarded a large percent of their business as if they were an organized crime business.

Marijuana has to be dropped totally off the Federal drug list or some people will forever use those Federal laws against the industry. The State Government will not do anything to stop the Federal cases.

[Ruby the Liberal]

39. What the who?

I totally missed that fiasco. What happened?

Agree with you completely about the CSA. Rescheduling is a Catch-22 and would set things back, not incrementally forward. It would still be under the FDA, which would threaten recreational, and besides - who is going to pony up the cash for FDA approval on something that can't be patented?

[Sunlei]

44. Heres a couple links about those cases. State Govs team with the Feds.

http://www.thecannabist.co/2015/07/13/marijuana-industry-lawsuits-federal-racketeering/37880/

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/feb/19/colorado-marijuana-law-faces-rico-lawsuit/?page=all

http://www.thecannabist.co/2016/01/06/rico-racketeering-lawsuits-marijuana/46057/


a lot more on search "marijuana rico"

[Ruby the Liberal]

48. Thank you. nt

[malthaussen]

11. That's a lot of grass.

Funny how they make so much money taxing pot, when much larger states make pennies or lose money drug-testing welfare recipients. There's a moral there, somewhere.

-- Mal

[Gregorian]

14. It's legitimate because of money?

This country is a joke. That headline shouldn't exist in the first place because cannabis should never have been illegal. But aside from that, what about the medical benefits? Is it money that is all that makes it worthy?

Oh great, we're making money, print a newspaper article.

I'm all for it. But only for the right reasons. Fuck the money.

Yet now it's very clear what matters in America. Want to change the system?: just make sure it nets a profit.

[valerief]

16. The most important thing in the world is to make rich people richer. It drives EVERYTHING.

It's not fair, of course, and not even mildly interesting, but that's how the world works.

[Phlem]

28. Washington State's Medical Marijuana dispensaries are

pretty gone or near extinct thanks to Governor Inslee and big money.

It's a mixed bag for me. While I expected better from the Democratic Governor because patients used to be able to grow their own with no problems, but now must submit to be on a list. Of course there's a direct line to local law enforcement concerning said list (a stipulation in the new Medical Marijuana Laws), but they won't abuse it right?

We have Corporate Democrats running Washington. That should tell you everything you need to know.

And on the good side the prices do go from below$30 to roughly $50 for an eighth. It's a bit cheaper and a lot better than what dispensaries had.

However the sizes are questionable, the eighths look like big gram bags.

[Gregorian]

42. My friend's wife has a brain tumor, and he has to drive to another county to get it.

I think he figured it out, but it's the stinking board of supervisors or something. Total money monkeys. My friend is a fucking genius. He's two years away from retirement, and he's having fun writing letters to them. He's one of those people who can get just about anyone to accidentally see themselves. He works with a Limbaugh lunatic, and it's piece of pie with him. The redneck has even taken a liking to my friend. It's amazing what not getting emotional, and being a genius, will do to get people to reconsider a position.

[Ruby the Liberal]

38. Its a message to other 27 states

In the only language the R-Corporatists and the D-Corporatists understand.

Someone somewhere is going to make a shitload of money on this in conjunction with and someone somewhere is going to SAVE a shitload of money on this.

One, the other, or both will hook the corrupt and entrepreneurial types (not mutually exclusive) who own the legislature - and votes will miraculously fall out of the sky.

This is just one piece of the puzzle.

And all the more power to the assholes.

[Warren DeMontague]

40. It shoule be legal, regulated and taxed, yes. Im sorry, people in this country buy stuff.

Thats how it works.

If you really want to poo in the punchbowl of increasingly popular pot legalization- an unequivocal good thing if ive ever seen one- at least research oregon's law before you criticise us, becuase it is arguably the best in the country so far, AND it allows all households to grow up to 4 plants, so no, not everyone "has to" purchase it if they want it.

[Gregorian]

43. Hello

I might have come across that way, but that's not at all how I feel. I've been smoking since the 60's, growing since the 70's

I'm just pissed to have had a life of feeling like a fugitive in my own nation. Then when people realize it's profitable, it's all just fine. It's cool.

[Warren DeMontague]

47. Yeah, I hear you. I'm not trying to come across harshly, either.

But I don't think that's entirely what is going on.

Personally, these days I only smoke it maybe once in a blue moon, myself- like a hit off a joint at a Ratdog show every few years and blammo! I'm wrecked; that's the benefit of only doing it occasionally, no tolerance. But I've been a firm believer in legalization for decades.

What I think has happened is that while Boomers were (at least some of them) hypocritical on the issue, and my own Generation sure liked smoking the stuff but didn't have the numbers to really move the bar against the whole "just say no" drug thing... now you have Millennials who are a huge demographic that has grown up with parents and even grandparents who they know have been smoking weed for decades without growing extra heads or freaking out at the piano ("play faster!&quot and they are like "what the fuck, why is this illegal again?"

I don't think it's that people have just now figured out that it is profitable; I mean, drug dealers have known that forever. The difference here is that finally some of that money can go to schools, etc. instead of into the black market.

I agree that the whole thing has been inexcusable; the drug war, I mean- but I'm just glad we're finally seeing some long-overdue moves towards sanity on the fucker. Being able to walk into a place in my own country that I could legally buy pot was on my bucket list, along with seeing a human being set foot on Mars.

One down, at least, for now.

[ProfessorGAC]

15. Number Is Critically Low

The benefit to the reduction in resources applied to interdiction are way more than $3.5 million per month.

They have that much EXTRA cash, but overall there is probably closer to $10 million in cash resources made available for other state activitities.

That's the case in Colorado.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

19. it will be a year or so before we get those numbers, i imagine. nt

[ProfessorGAC]

22. Probably So

Hey, new money is new money, so that's a good thing for the state. But, i think it will turn out to be way more beneficial than just revenue stream.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

23. already i see

Among my circle, a profound sense of relief that they no longer need to fear 'getting busted'. Most are 30-50 years old with families and jobs who are otherwise upstanding law abiding citizens.

[ProfessorGAC]

24. Well, That Seems Completely Reasonable

That's how everyone should get to feel!

Have a good weekend.

[HuckleB]

33. True enough.

[blackspade]

17. Wow. That's a 14 mil hole in the black market.

That's a good thing.

[HuckleB]

35. A lot of people who didn't partake in the black market went here, though, too.

Some professionals can't take certain risks.

[0rganism]

18. there aren't any recreation-specific stores for this yet

these are just the medical marijuana dispensaries that have opened a side counter for rec users.

when the normal recreational sales licenses start issuing, i'm pretty sure the revenue will increase somewhat.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

20. as soon as they can buy edibles too!

I make medible taffy, caramels and other yummies for several patients at half the price they would pay at a dispensary. When the retail market opens up i may have an actual money making business

[0rganism]

21. and i might be one of your customers lol

that's another really great point tho - so far rec users can't buy edibles (or oils or shatter), which seem to be extremely popular in CO and WA. when users have more alt. ways to imbibe the chronic, it's going to be even more popular.

[HuckleB]

34. There are a few in northeast and southeast Portland.

I don't know what the woman outside of the one in Hollywood smoked at lunch today, but it must have been good because she wasn't walking very well.

[bluedigger]

25. The first month exceeded their projections for the entire year?

Who the fuck have they got doing their projections?

[swag]

26. I'm not a big smoker, but

it is nice to be able to walk a few blocks and get a few swell varieties from a very informed staff for about what I used to pay me home-delivery person. And at least some of my expenditure goes to schools.

[felix_numinous]

27. I hope to see a lot more hemp farming also

besides being good for the soil, it would provide many green small business opportunities.

[tabasco]

31. Award the money to bong research grants at universities!! n/t

[HuckleB]

32. I would have expected more, oddly enough.

I did wonder if there were too many people opening up shop. That might put a few folks out of business, early on.

[Warren DeMontague]

41. KICK AND REC

[truthisfreedom]

46. Which is how it should be. Profit from the sales of mother nature to help the people.

Not blow tax dollars destroying people's lives with the drug war.