“The Times fixates on the fact that among some consumers, cannabis use is surpassing the use of alcohol. This is neither surprising nor troublesome.”
By Paul Armentano, NORML
The New York Times has a pot problem.
In a recent commentary, the Times editors opine that states have rushed to legalize the substance “without adequately regulating it.”
However, state marijuana markets are already highly regulated and many of options proposed by the Times editors are either redundant or would inadvertently strengthen the illicit marketplace.
For instance, the Times laments that adult-use cannabis products are not subject to sufficient taxation. But this is far from the truth. In fact, most states impose taxes on cannabis products that far surpass those imposed upon other goods, including alcohol. In some states, consumers face a tax burden of nearly 40 percent on cannabis products—that is, if they choose to pay it.
In many cases, excessive taxes steer consumers toward the unregulated market where they can purchase marijuana at far cheaper prices. Placing even higher taxes on legal cannabis goods will only amplify this trend—thereby undermining the primary goal of legalization, which is to provide adults with safe, affordable, above-ground access to lab-tested products of known purity, potency and quality.
The Times editors also allege that so-called ‘Big Weed’ is
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