Pirate's Cove

Wait, I thought liberals were gung ho regarding increased taxation (yes, I know, not all pot smokers are liberals. It’s still a valid point)

(Chicago Tribune) A group of marijuana activists in Colorado are suing to prevent the government collecting taxes derived from the state’s legal pot industry, saying it violates the right against self-incrimination guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

The lawsuit, filed by local lawyer Rob Corry this week in Denver District Court, asks that a judge issue an injunction ordering the state and city of Denver to halt the practice. (snip)

The 37-page complaint, “which includes a history of marijuana prohibition in the United States,“ said that because of the federal ban, people who buy or sell pot implicate themselves in a crime, which violates the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

“There can be no possible scenario where a person paying … marijuana-specific taxes can also be in full compliance with federal law,” the lawsuit said.

Know what would be funny? If the Court looks at the suit and decides that, yes, the taxes are bad because smoking/selling pot is against federal law, therefore, the ballot measure legalizing pot in Colorado is invalidated due to federal law.

Corry also said the state”s 25 percent combined sales and excise taxes on marijuana sales have undermined what voters intended when they approved legalized cannabis in part to take the criminal element out of marijuana use.

“The tax rates are so high that the underground market has experienced resurgence in Colorado,” Corry wrote.

So, wait, high taxes cause problems? Who woulda thunk it?