Colorado Raised Roughly $2 Million in Pot Taxes in January – Marijuana News Roundup

According to officials

Latest news (5:37 p.m. ET 3/10/14): Officials say that Colorado raised roughly $2 million in marijuana taxes in January.

Previous News on Marijuana Legalization:

(3:56 p.m. ET 3/5/14):Congress could reverse Washington D.C.'s new marijuana decriminalization law. The new law has to be approved by the House and the Senate within 60 days. 

It's not legalization, but Washington, D.C.'s City Council voted to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana possession. Possession will result in fines, not arrest, assuming Congress doesn't veto the change.

Previous News on Marijuana: Alaska may become the third state to legalize recreational use of marijuana. A ballot iniative has qualified for a public vote this summer.

Now that marijuana can legally be purchased in Colorado, observers across the country are watching to see how sales turn out.

For the month of January, NBC News reports, Pueblo County's two legal pot shops brought in $1 million in revenue and $56,000 in sales taxes. The whole state is predicting more than $600 million in marijuana sales for the next fiscal year.

Coverage about marijuana legalization from Reason and others:

Families of small children with rare epileptic disorders are coming to Colorado for a special strain of marijuana that seems to help stop seizures.

Jacob Sullum reports on a federal lawsuit on First Amendment grounds against rules that restrict the right of marijuana vendors to advertise their wares.

A roundup within your roundup: John K. Ross looks at the state of marijuana legalization across the country.

Comments

[XM]

Be careful, big tobacco might be listening. And they'll use John Denver's image to sell their pot products.

"Rocky mountain high is about nature"

Yeah, right.

[Brian Kelly]

Please spare us all the "Doomsday Scenarios" and "Conspiracy Theories" because nobody is buying them these days.

When marijuana becomes completely legal for any purpose nationwide, are you going to tell us it

would not only eliminate the inhumane, unjust laws which give life long permanent criminal records

to ordinary, tax paying citizens for choosing a substance much safer than perfectly legal and

acceptable alcohol, but also save us billions of dollars in law enforcement and prosecution costs

alone, allow our police the time and resources to go after really dangerous criminals who actually

pose a threat to others, free our jails pf room for them instead of marijuana users. and also put a

huge dent in the drug cartels, since marijuana is currently their number one source of income?

If you can dispute what I said directly, like an adult, civilized, without name calling,

stereotyping, or personal attacks, and back up every claim you make with a link to a creditable non

government, non anti drug organization source, then please do share it with us right now.

If not, don't expect a response if you are just here to express you don't personally like the idea.

[LiveFreeOrDOH!]

I was kicking the idea with my brother to open up a hookah bar / smoke lounge to hopefully get a jump on legalization, which should be soon for New Hampshire (the Live Free or Die state, but not so much). He still needs convincing. Good to see these numbers from Colorado. I think it makes sense for NH since the only that is taxed (beside the ridiculous property taxes) is alcohol, tobacco and prepared food.

[Brian Kelly]

Wouldn't want to scare people off by having them think that smoke lounges are going to start popping up all over the place. Would you?

Sorry to break the news to you and your buddy, but we are only advocating for the legal, personal use of marijuana by adults within the privacy of our own homes.

That's fair enough.

Public marijuana use is still not legal.

Nobody is advocating for that either at the moment.

[Riven]

Nobody besides LiveFreeorDOH! is advocating that.

[LiveFreeOrDOH!]

What's wrong with smoke lounges?

[Colorado Weed Company]

Non addictive? We bet those counties get addicted to the cash flow.

[Brian Kelly]

Do you have proof of it being very addictive, if so please do share it with us and back your claims up with cited sources please.

When marijuana becomes completely legal for any purpose nationwide, are you going to tell us it would not only eliminate the inhumane, unjust laws which give life long permanent criminal records to ordinary, tax paying citizens for choosing a substance much safer than perfectly legal and acceptable alcohol, but also save us billions of dollars in law enforcement and prosecution costs alone, allow our police the time and resources to go after really dangerous criminals who actually pose a threat to others, free our jails pf room for them instead of marijuana users. and also put a huge dent in the drug cartels, since marijuana is currently their number one source of income?

If you can dispute what I said directly, like an adult, civilized, without name calling, stereotyping, or personal attacks, and back up every claim you make with a link to a creditable non government, non anti drug organization source, then please do share it with us right now.

If not, don't expect a response if you are just here to express you don't personally like the idea.

[Brian Kelly]

There is absolutely no doubt now that the majority of Americans want to completely legalize marijuana nationwide. Our numbers grow on a daily basis.

The prohibitionist view on marijuana is the viewpoint of a minority of Americans.. It is based upon decades of lies and propaganda.

Each and every tired old lie they have propagated has been thoroughly proven false by both science and society.

Their tired old rhetoric no longer holds any validity. The majority of Americans have seen through the sham of marijuana prohibition in this day and age. The number of prohibitionists left shrinks on a daily basis.

With their credibility shattered, and their not so hidden agendas visible to a much wiser public, what's left for a marijuana prohibitionist to do?

Maybe, just come to terms with the fact that Marijuana Legalization Nationwide is an inevitable reality that's approaching much sooner than prohibitionists think, and there is nothing they can do to stop it!

Legalize Nationwide!...and Support All Marijuana Legalization Efforts!

[Firstname]

Decriminalizing marijuana is a dinosaur ... like opening up a video rental store when the entire country is already digital. Too little ... too late.

[Brian Kelly]

Don't be fooled by fake "Decriminalization" because under it, citizens are still treated like common criminals over marijuana. Why else do you think they are so EAGER to take this route instead of full legalization?

Citizens will still be forced to the dangerous illegal black market and a shady, illegal drug dealer to purchase marijuana. Getting caught purchasing that marijuana IS still a crime they will arrest you for. Then, besides the fines, they will FORCE you to mandatory rehab, and if you don't go? Guess what? Jailtime!

Also, we will still be wasting our tax dollars sending law enforcement's manpower chasing around marijuana users to ticket, rather than allowing them the time, manpower, and resources to protect us from real, dangerous criminals who commit crimes with actual victims.

Don't be fooled!

DEMAND Full Marijuana Legalization Nationwide!

[Brian Kelly]

Don't be fooled by fake "Decriminalization" because under it, citizens are still treated like common criminals over marijuana. Why else do you think they are so EAGER to take this route instead of full legalization?

Citizens will still be forced to the dangerous illegal black market and a shady, illegal drug dealer to purchase marijuana. Getting caught purchasing that marijuana IS still a crime they will arrest you for. Then, besides the fines, they will FORCE you to mandatory rehab, and if you don't go? Guess what? Jailtime!

Also, we will still be wasting our tax dollars sending law enforcement's manpower chasing around marijuana users to ticket, rather than allowing them the time, manpower, and resources to protect us from real, dangerous criminals who commit crimes with actual victims.

Don't be fooled!

DEMAND Full Marijuana Legalization Nationwide!