5 Inherent Problems With The “Legalize For Tax Revenue” Pitch

14 years ago as a freshman in college, I joined the cause to legalize weed.

At the time, one of the biggest talking points was the potential tax revenue.

Governments seem to always need more money.

Enforcement and incarceration are expensive.

And legislators saw weed as easy $$$.

And advocates saw a way in.

But there’s 5 inherent problems to legalizing for tax benefits:

1. Revenue becomes the goal (not access, or medical help, or social equity, etc.)
2. Actions are taken to protect the goal (not the patients, consumers, victims)
3. Markets favor profits over all else (more taxes, more $$ needed to survive)
4. Current Models overestimate potential taxes (tax $$ declines with prices)
5. Non-Revenue Aspects are considered threats (aka Home Grows)

It’s not that cannabis won’t generate tax revenue.

The problem is if that’s the primary motivation for legalization — ignoring all other benefits — that mentality will sacrifice those benefits in the name of the $.

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That’s a wrap!

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