Jacob Sullum Asks If High Pot Taxes Will Derail Legalization
Supporters of the marijuana legalization initiatives that voters in Washington and Colorado approved last fall emphasized the revenue that the government could reap by recognizing cannabis production and distribution as a legitimate business. The tricky part, says Senior Editor Jacob Sullum, is balancing the desire for tax revenue against the desire to eliminate the black market created by prohibition. Or as UCLA drug policy expert Mark Kleiman, an adviser to Washington's marijuana regulators, puts it: "What if we gave a pot legalization and nobody came?"