Marijuana legalisation

Pretty sure it just goes DRUGS = CRIME, ignoring that alcohol is a drug.

The argument that legalising it will get rid of the criminal element needs to be watered down a little as there is a huge illegal tobacco market run by criminals despite the fact the product is legal. Why? because the gubberment taxes the crapola out of it which creates the secondary market.

If they do the same to Marijuana once they legalise it there will still be a huge black market especially when the legal price is above the illegal price.

So long as it does not get promoted as a substitute for more harmful drugs. The kava experiment in the NT was a disaster and had to be eventually banned, with some exceptions for traditional ethnic users in a social setting and controls on importation.

Paying a premium to not buy off some random living in commission housing, is a premium lots will pay.

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See the legalised state in america. also see that they’re pumping a lot of that money into welfare and education…

You just never know how evil people can get when they run out of Doritos and/or Pizza …

There is an illegal tobacco industry, but it doesn’t even come close to the size of the legal tobacco industry, which is a massive legitimised money making machine (for something with no practical benefit that kills people)

The high tobacco tax is health driven to influence consumption , from which revenue will decline as consumption falls ( as will GST from retail sales). Chop will probably never go away, but it can be limited by crime enforcement.
One unfortunate side- effect from the technological advances in detecting cannabis crops in the open was the move to hydroponic cultivation at much higher strengths, with linkages to psychosis and possibly more sophisticated criminal elements.

I get why it’s taxed so heavily. Tobacco companies aren’t exactly struggling for profits though

I’m of the opinion that a $40 pack of cigarettes is immoral.

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I’m of the opinion that it’s class discrimination

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I’m of the opinion that people should be able to buy their own health insurance so any expense from their choices aren’t a burden on the Tax Payer, and be free & able then to buy Alcohol, Tobacco or whatever the hell else they like tax free.

Perhaps Petrol & diesel should be taxed similarly because of all the damage it’s fumes inflict on the public, who don’t even have the personal choice whether they inhale it ??

Interesting.
I assume the taxation would be backdated.
Because smokers could build a hospital per year, every year, on their taxes.

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Reportedly big tobacco is investing heavily in E- cigarettes.

100% it’s an obvious poor person tax

Why wouldn’t they?
They’re in the nicotine delivery business.
It’s big pharma that’s against it.

Taxation not the favoured approach for petrol and diesel, Greens policy is a phasing out. German cities can now legally ban diesel and a number of Europeans have target dates for phasing out petrol cars. Auto emission standards are also common in US and Europe, just takes VW to flout them.

Four Corners doing a story on recreational cannabis In Australia tonight

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Funny but unsurprising that illegal growers aren’t invited to the party
Closing the door on a lot of knowledge there

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Bump.

How far away are we?