Taxation in Denver??

Hmmm...not clear how these guys can decide that MMJ is taxable property and not non-taxable prescription meds?


DENVER — Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter plans to direct medical marijuana dispensaries to start paying sales tax.
Ritter's move comes after Colorado Attorney John Suthers concluded in an opinion issued Monday that medical marijuana is considered personal property that can be taxed and shouldn't be treated like prescription drugs, which are tax exempt.
Ritter spokesman Evan Dreyer says the administration will immediately tell dispensaries to get retail licenses and start paying sales tax.
It wasn't immediately clear how much revenue the change would generate in the cash-strapped state.
The decision comes just as Denver moves to impose sales tax on medical marijuana. Denver plans to notify dispensaries that it will start collecting municipal sales tax starting in December.
___
Information from: The Denver Post, http://www.denverpost.com

I was at the meeting today in Denver where Sen. Romer spoke about that. They said that marijuana was not a precription drug. A doctor writes a referal not a precription. I am not agreeing with it, just stating what I heard.

What I really take exception to is Sen. Romer's idea that cash transactions should not be allowed in dispensaries. How is someone going to tell a business they can not take United States legal tender? I can not believe its possible for that to happen, but I heard it suggested today.

Alot of crazy things have been talked about here. I just hope common sense and sanity rule out.

dawnish said:

Hmmm...not clear how these guys can decide that MMJ is taxable property and not non-taxable prescription meds?


DENVER — Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter plans to direct medical marijuana dispensaries to start paying sales tax.
Ritter's move comes after Colorado Attorney John Suthers concluded in an opinion issued Monday that medical marijuana is considered personal property that can be taxed and shouldn't be treated like prescription drugs, which are tax exempt.
Ritter spokesman Evan Dreyer says the administration will immediately tell dispensaries to get retail licenses and start paying sales tax.
It wasn't immediately clear how much revenue the change would generate in the cash-strapped state.
The decision comes just as Denver moves to impose sales tax on medical marijuana. Denver plans to notify dispensaries that it will start collecting municipal sales tax starting in December.
___
Information from: The Denver Post, http://www.denverpost.com

Click to expand...

I'm confused, I know Rob Cory was fighting the sales tax but all the dispensaries around here already pay sales tax is this a really old article or something?

NewGrowth said:

I'm confused, I know Rob Cory was fighting the sales tax but all the dispensaries around here already pay sales tax is this a really old article or something?

Click to expand...

nah, the article is from last week, but then again, I'm known for posting 'old news.'

dawnish said:

nah, the article is from last week, but then again, I'm known for posting 'old news.'

Click to expand...

Yah I just thought it is weird because we already pay LOADS of sales tax. We have to remit payment monthly actually, the cities and state are banking big time on the tax. Nice to see this medical marijuana "green"business explosion.

I say let the state have their tax it only makes us that much more legal and 'mainstream'

^^^^ here here i agree completely and it also brings it that one step closer to demonstratin a successful way to regulate and tax users so it can be applied to a recreational sector. good news in my book as long as the ban on cash doesnt take place. thats just madness

Alot of things to consider:

1. True that doctors cannot write a 'prescription'. (Vape 2 bowls and call me in the morning) Prescriptions involving medicines require a dosage- a rec for MM does not. Plus MM is still not federally 'legal', whereas a prescription for Oxycotin is... go figure.

2. Taxation is the first step in control of information: If you have to file taxes, the gov knows where when and how much mm flows thru any one area. Cash transactions are not easily tracked.

3. Remember is was Treasury agents who brought down Al Capone...for- tax evasion.

4. Removing the cash aspect of the dispensaries is not only ludicrous but should be illegal in itself considering cash is 'legal tender'. But after the other arguments above you can see where the gov is headed with this... it's not always about making this more 'legitimate' but that of tracking and control. Organized crime LOVEs cash only or mostly cash businesses for the same reasons Al Capone did. No surpise the gov is going to invoke taxation of it.

I understand that paying taxes does legitimize MMJ but I can hardly afford to get my meds from dispensaries due to cost. Now the dispensary says that just like any other business the additional cost will be transferred to the consumer. So I will have to support violent drug cartels by purchasing from the street even though I have a card. I have e-mailed Sen. Romer about this and haven't even received a standard acknowledgment. This is typical Colorado politics, tax, tax, more tax. Until marijuana is legalized and big brother is removed from the equation it's going to be a headache to those of us who rely on MMJ for pain relief. Being a veteran, the government (VA) will not prescibe ANYTHING for pain unless I can provide a clean UA. Can't wait til the government is running healthcare. I personaly am against paying taxes on meds but who am I? Ask Sen. Romer. Nobody.

Let them get their tax on all the other items they purchase: medical supplys, food, whatever, no difference from wallgreens retail sales or any other retailer tax. We should have the same rights to conduct business as any other agricultural rules or pharma rules. The tax laws already exsist. Point is, they consider mmj use illicit and immoral. Must be a guilt complex or something. I know this, I am sick and I get a great deal of medical benifit from using MMJ. I witnessed many others who suffer get true relief . If sociaty wants to use it for social recreation it will no matter What. Whatever stupid mess the politically driven have come up with. Dumb asses ought to look at full legal recreational use as job security. The masses will be too stoned to care what they do with all the cash they get from the tax generated.