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Buzzby

Even Illegal Drugs Are Now Taxed
Ken Studer | Herald Democrat | 12/21/2005

Taxes has never been on top of the list for favorable conversation for most. Our food is taxed, or income is taxed, but now they've started taxing people's illegal drugs.

Arizona started the ball rolling by coming up with the marijuana and drug tax. Since that time, more than 20 other states have passed various marijuana and drug taxes. There are tax stamps for marijuana, controlled substances, LSD, psychedelic mushrooms, and others.

In those states, people who possess cannabis or other illegal drugs are legally required to purchase and affix state-issued stamps onto their contraband. The total cost of the tax is determined by the quantity of contraband one has. Unlike typical criminal laws prohibiting the possession and sale of controlled substances, drug tax stamp laws primarily assess financial penalties on the defendant for not having the stamp. On occasion, criminal sanctions may also be imposed.

The stamps range in price from 35 cents to $4,000. The State Revenue Department said some of the expensive stamps have never been purchased. For the first 10 years, of the Arizona stamps, 83 sheets of the one gram cannabis stamp were sold, and three sheets of the cannabis one ounce stamp were sold. No one has ever purchased any of the cannabis one kilo, ( $352.74 ) or any of the three controlled substances ( one gram, $8.80; one ounce, $250; and one kilo, $4,000 ). Keep in mind, you have to buy a whole sheet at a time.

Nearly half of the U.S. states have the marijuana tax stamp laws on their books, few citizens observe them. Most of the citizens of these states don't even know that such a law exist in their state. Others fear that complying with the law will get them busted. The legislative intent of drug tax laws is to impose an additional penalty, tax evasion, upon drug offenders after they are arrested and criminally charged with a drug violation.

In some states such as Georgia, failure to comply with the state tax law may result in a nominal misdemeanor penalty. However, in other states, such as Minnesota, failure to comply with the state's drug tax law may result in a defendant facing an additional fine of up to $14,000 and seven years in jail.

In one recent case in Arizona a man was arrested for selling marijuana, and he had a license and had the tax stamps on his product. A judge decided that if the state sold him a license, they shouldn't arrest him for selling the product so licensed. The judge dismissed the charges against the fellow. The state appealed and the case is still going on.

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oneluv4boognish

Okay please explain this one to me.....marijuana is illegal right? Isn't it saying it's legal if you're paying taxes on it? How can you pay taxes on something that's illegal? Seems like a hooker paying taxes on income from johns...does that make prostitution legal? I'M CONFUZZLED!

Buzzby

From 1937 through 1971, the basis for federal marijuana prohibition was the Marijuana Tax Stamp Act, which required an exorbitant tax on the herb. The Catch-22 was that you couldn't possess the herb without the tax stamp and you couldn't get the tax stamp unless you had the herb in hand. This was declared unconstitutional under the Fifth Amendment because you cannot be required to incriminate yourself. In '71 it was replaced with the Controlled Substances Act, which somehow uses the Commerce Clause to justify federal involvement.


You are required to pay taxes on illegally earned income. That's how they finally put Al Capone away.

fight4rights

I'm still confused. Is this just a way for them to bust you a little more when you get in trouble for possession? They stick you for possession, then if the DA feels like being an asshole or making an example, also get you for "tax evasion"?


That's pretty cool. I think that judge knows that the drug laws are whack. I don't think that would happen in most scenarios of the judge was trying to put you away.

Where are these stamps purchased?

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Buzzby

Basically correct.


State Department of Revenue.

Kansas State Deparment of Revenue

 

Cassius

If you beat someone to death, are you charged with assault, battery, and murder, or just murder?

I know that "double jeopardy" isn't talking about a situation like this one (the tax on illegal goods), but it seems kind of similar to me, and I would think that you shouldn't be able to get cumulative punishments from multiple laws if you only committed one crime. The fact that you can't get the penalty increased for the primary crime, doesn't that indicate that the penalty is already severe enough, and by making a secondary law to attach further penalty -- isn't that cruel and unusual punishment or something?

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Buzzby

In my experience they charge you with everything they can think of. I got caught with three small bags of weed and was charged with seven felonies and three misdemeanors. This gives the DA bargaining chips when working with your attorney on a plea bargain.

In my state, possession of up to 100 grams is like a parking ticket with a maximum $100 fine and no criminal record. It's been that way since the mid-70s. Some of our legislators would like to recriminalize marijuana, but can't get support. Instead they passed a law that mandates suspension of driver's licenses and professional licenses from 6 months to 5 years. They can also throw you in jail for a month for possession of paraphernalia!

How weird is that? Minor fine for possession of 3.5 ounces of pot, but you lose your driver's license and can get jail time if you've got a pipe!

oneluv4boognish

That's rather assinine....out of curiousity what state are you in Buzzby?

Cassius

Yeah, I know it *is* that way. I'm questioning whether it *should* be that way. Just throwing up the suggestion that maybe if you commit 1 crime, you should be charged once, if you commit 2 crimes you should be charged twice, etc. I know, I'm a crazy idealist.

urania3

In the situation you presented there are three crimes. There is the attempt to do bodily injury to another, the striking of that person intending to do harm, and the killing. Conviction would not necessitate consecutive sentencing as it could be concurrent service depending on the law.

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