A Look at Marijuana Tax Revenues
Since the film, Reefer Madness and other anti-marijuana propaganda, the United States has had a love-hate relationship with marijuana. It has been the subject of major debates throughout the years and to this day the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) continues to list marijuana as a Schedule I drug. Schedule I drugs, according to the DEA, have no currently accepted medical use and have a high potential for abuse. With Colorado’s historical vote in 2012 and their ground-breaking regulations, Colorado’s recreational marijuana sales and the way that they use the tax revenues have revolutionized and set the standard on how other states can use the tax revenue to make large improvements to their own state.
When Colorado legalized marijuana for personal use, the state government established policies that would use the tax revenues from sales to fund specific programs. According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, the largest beneficiary of marijuana tax revenues are public schools. While it may seem counterintuitive to fund public schools, this is a perfect example of how to properly use tax payers money to support our children. Normally, Colorado’s public schools are largely funded from local property taxes, however, since the economic downturn of 2008, the state had to come up with a way to continue to fund public schools without raising property taxes or sales taxes. When the ballot measure to legalize marijuana came round, public schools were on the top of the list of programs to be funded.
The other states that have yet to ratify their own state’s constitution for legal marijuana sales could benefit from Colorado’s example of how to properly use the funds. One example of using the Colorado template is Oregon. Oregon approved recreational marijuana sales on 1 July, 2015. While there are no sales taxes on marijuana sales in Oregon, the state requires that individual businesses must pay 17 to 20 percent taxes and medicinal marijuana stores must pay 25 percent in taxes for recreational sales. Those revenues are then divided between schools, which receive the highest percentage at 40, then to other programs such as police funds and mental health services. So what does this mean for other states that are considering recreational marijuana sales? While marijuana is still federally illegal, there has been a large shift in how the American public view marijuana. By Oregon and Colorado using the funds from marijuana sales to fund public schools and to provide mental health services are great examples of how to move forward and provide more for our youth and those who require mental help.
One argument against the legalization of marijuana is by allowing public schools to benefit from the sales of marijuana, it may send the wrong idea to impressionable children. In an interview with VICE News, Kevin Sabet said, “You're allowing the sale of marijuana which is going to hurt kids and school outcomes, but you're using the money to help kids.” The point that he is making is that using those funds to support schools, it gives children the idea that marijuana use is okay, but at the same time the state government is funding their school. However, Colorado has set aside a large amount funds for marijuana education and prevention campaigns. Through education, children will learn the hazards of marijuana use and all the applicable laws associated with marijuana.
One teacher from Colorado wrote why she was opposed to legal marijuana sales. In an article for the Huffington Post, Christina Blair said that she had noticed a notable down turn in one of her students. She says that in a two month period, her student went from being a good student, with a bright disposition and when succumbing to peer pressure, his grades dropped, started skipping class, and appeared to be “zoned out” when he actually would show up to class. While, the accessibility of marijuana to children is subject to debate, the same could be said about alcohol, which a topic for another day. However, Colorado has programs it has since established to help possible at-risk children.
Colorado recently had an accounting error on it taxes, in which $66 million dollars were the subject of a recent vote. The voters of Colorado overwhelmingly voted, 70 percent, to give back that money back to the state in which it would spend on programs specifically aimed at children. In an online article from attn.com, Colorado will spend $40 million on school construction, $2.5 million on marijuana education and prevention campaigns, $2 million on bullying prevention, $2million on drop-out prevention grants, $2 million on youth mentoring programs, $1 million on poison control centers, and $1 million for local government marijuana impact grants. The one very important program that is gaining an additional $500,000 is Colorado’s substance abuse screening, intervention and referral program. This program will help those people with addiction find the resources they need to help improve their lives. Additionally, many Americans have been calling for better mental health resources and services in light of recent high profile attacks perpetrated by people who were deemed to be mentally handicapped or ill.
Spending $40 million on school construction, the people of Colorado set the precedent by effectively saying that education is the most important thing to them. Allocating the funds received from marijuana sales for school construction helps students by alleviating high student to teacher ratios, allowing a better learning environment for children to learn. The funds may also be used to improve classrooms and add incorporating newer technology to help students. Colorado voters showed the rest of America that it clearly has its children and their future clearly in the forefront of their collect minds. Also, these children will have brighter futures with the incorporation of modern technology into their classrooms. A world of possibilities exist when children are exposed to modern technology at a young age.
The examples set for by Colorado and Oregon, other states such as Ohio, who recently voted against the legalization of marijuana, could easily create their own amendments to their Constitutions for which to follow. Alaska is currently creating their framework in which how to regulate and tax marijuana recreational sales. Looking at an article from USA Today, there are eleven states in which are projected to legalize recreational marijuana sales. Massachusetts, California, Nevada, New York, Vermont, Minnesota, Connecticut, Maryland, Rhode Island, Maine and Delaware could all potentially benefit from an increase in sales tax revenues. If these eleven states look to Colorado or Oregon as excellent examples for which to establish their own amendments, these states influence could lead to the United States government changing the established marijuana laws and ushering in a new generation of tax revenues.
Colorado is projected to earn $125 million in tax revenue from recreational marijuana sales this calendar year. This exceeds all projections and will most definitely help lead to greater improvements through out the state. With highly lucrative business models established throughout Colorado, Washington and Oregon, legal marijuana sales presents itself as the next cash crop in which America can benefit and improve our schools, mental health facilities and other programs.
Since the film, Reefer Madness and other anti-marijuana propaganda, the United States has had a love-hate relationship with marijuana. It has been the subject of major debates throughout the years and to this day the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) continues to list marijuana as a Schedule I drug. Schedule I drugs, according to the DEA, have no currently accepted medical use and have a high potential for abuse. With Colorado’s historical vote in 2012 and their ground-breaking regulations, Colorado’s recreational marijuana sales and the way that they use the tax revenues have revolutionized and set the standard on how other states can use the tax revenue to make large improvements to their own state.
When Colorado legalized marijuana for personal use, the state government established policies that would use the tax revenues from sales to fund specific programs. According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, the largest beneficiary of marijuana tax revenues are public schools. While it may seem counterintuitive to fund public schools, this is a perfect example of how to properly use tax payers money to support our children. Normally, Colorado’s public schools are largely funded from local property taxes, however, since the economic downturn of 2008, the state had to come up with a way to continue to fund public schools without raising property taxes or sales taxes. When the ballot measure to legalize marijuana came round, public schools were on the top of the list of programs to be funded.
The other states that have yet to ratify their own state’s constitution for legal marijuana sales could benefit from Colorado’s example of how to properly use the funds. One example of using the Colorado template is Oregon. Oregon approved recreational marijuana sales on 1 July, 2015. While there are no sales taxes on marijuana sales in Oregon, the state requires that individual businesses must pay 17 to 20 percent taxes and medicinal marijuana stores must pay 25 percent in taxes for recreational sales. Those revenues are then divided between schools, which receive the highest percentage at 40, then to other programs such as police funds and mental health services. So what does this mean for other states that are considering recreational marijuana sales? While marijuana is still federally illegal, there has been a large shift in how the American public view marijuana. By Oregon and Colorado using the funds from marijuana sales to fund public schools and to provide mental health services are great examples of how to move forward and provide more for our youth and those who require mental help.
One argument against the legalization of marijuana is by allowing public schools to benefit from the sales of marijuana, it may send the wrong idea to impressionable children. In an interview with VICE News, Kevin Sabet said, “You're allowing the sale of marijuana which is going to hurt kids and school outcomes, but you're using the money to help kids.” The point that he is making is that using those funds to support schools, it gives children the idea that marijuana use is okay, but at the same time the state government is funding their school. However, Colorado has set aside a large amount funds for marijuana education and prevention campaigns. Through education, children will learn the hazards of marijuana use and all the applicable laws associated with marijuana.
One teacher from Colorado wrote why she was opposed to legal marijuana sales. In an article for the Huffington Post, Christina Blair said that she had noticed a notable down turn in one of her students. She says that in a two month period, her student went from being a good student, with a bright disposition and when succumbing to peer pressure, his grades dropped, started skipping class, and appeared to be “zoned out” when he actually would show up to class. While, the accessibility of marijuana to children is subject to debate, the same could be said about alcohol, which a topic for another day. However, Colorado has programs it has since established to help possible at-risk children.
Colorado recently had an accounting error on it taxes, in which $66 million dollars were the subject of a recent vote. The voters of Colorado overwhelmingly voted, 70 percent, to give back that money back to the state in which it would spend on programs specifically aimed at children. In an online article from attn.com, Colorado will spend $40 million on school construction, $2.5 million on marijuana education and prevention campaigns, $2 million on bullying prevention, $2million on drop-out prevention grants, $2 million on youth mentoring programs, $1 million on poison control centers, and $1 million for local government marijuana impact grants. The one very important program that is gaining an additional $500,000 is Colorado’s substance abuse screening, intervention and referral program. This program will help those people with addiction find the resources they need to help improve their lives. Additionally, many Americans have been calling for better mental health resources and services in light of recent high profile attacks perpetrated by people who were deemed to be mentally handicapped or ill.
Spending $40 million on school construction, the people of Colorado set the precedent by effectively saying that education is the most important thing to them. Allocating the funds received from marijuana sales for school construction helps students by alleviating high student to teacher ratios, allowing a better learning environment for children to learn. The funds may also be used to improve classrooms and add incorporating newer technology to help students. Colorado voters showed the rest of America that it clearly has its children and their future clearly in the forefront of their collect minds. Also, these children will have brighter futures with the incorporation of modern technology into their classrooms. A world of possibilities exist when children are exposed to modern technology at a young age.
The examples set for by Colorado and Oregon, other states such as Ohio, who recently voted against the legalization of marijuana, could easily create their own amendments to their Constitutions for which to follow. Alaska is currently creating their framework in which how to regulate and tax marijuana recreational sales. Looking at an article from USA Today, there are eleven states in which are projected to legalize recreational marijuana sales. Massachusetts, California, Nevada, New York, Vermont, Minnesota, Connecticut, Maryland, Rhode Island, Maine and Delaware could all potentially benefit from an increase in sales tax revenues. If these eleven states look to Colorado or Oregon as excellent examples for which to establish their own amendments, these states influence could lead to the United States government changing the established marijuana laws and ushering in a new generation of tax revenues.
Colorado is projected to earn $125 million in tax revenue from recreational marijuana sales this calendar year. This exceeds all projections and will most definitely help lead to greater improvements through out the state. With highly lucrative business models established throughout Colorado, Washington and Oregon, legal marijuana sales presents itself as the next cash crop in which America can benefit and improve our schools, mental health facilities and other programs.
The author responds the actions of others in paragraph 1, 2, and 3.
ReplyDeleteIn paragraph 2, 3, and 8 the author give good background knowledge.
By referencing the affect of the topic on the education of children, especially in paragraph 7, the author makes the topic mater and appeals to the readers values through pathos.
The statistics presented in paragraph 6 provide good evidence.
When referencing the teachers opinion in paragraph 5, he mentions other views.
The thesis is stated in the last sentence.
1.
ReplyDeletea. That the sale of marijuana is a good way to improve the finance of the US, schools, and healthcare in the US.
b. It was mostly implied, thought the last sentence was a little clearer.
2.
a. Taxes for marijuana is given to schools in large tax amounts. That Colorado is thought to gain $125 million in tax revenue in a year.
b. The author provides statistics and other facts.
c. Very persuasive reasons
3.
a. He does mention counter arguments. Deals with them by first eloquently describing the opposing view and then shooting it down with statistics.
b. He responds very reasonably, though it is subject to question and opinion.
c. He is respectful.
d. His arguments ignore the fact that if marijuana is open in families, children will be likely to get into it, potentially hurting their education to degree, that the class room setting doesn’t matter.
4.
a. The DEA is used as a counter argument. Colorado Department of Revenue is used as a support. The teacher is used as a counter argument.
b. all very credible
c. all very resent.
5.
a. the writer includes me by talking about students and, “our” children.
b. the use of “our” includes me.
c. The desire for education and healthcare to be good is shared by me.