M is for Marijuana.
No Sue Grafton is not working her way back through the alphabet — her novel was “M is for Malice.”
Though our medical marijuana defense lawyers could use that same title in describing the Los Angeles City Council. Having sought to reduce the number of medical marijuana dispensaries by more than 80 percent — from about 500 to about 75 — they figure on taxing to death anything left standing.
We are absolutely not surprised by this logic, if only because we have been dealing with the city’s rationale for several years as our Los Angeles dispensary defense attorneys have filed lawsuits on behalf of more than a dozen medical marijuana businesses in Los Angeles and the surrounding area.
It would be sort of like creating a new convenience store tax and then closing all neighborhood stores. People could then be invited to drive to one industrial area of the city for their milk and bread — at their “convenience,” of course.
The Los Angeles Times reports March’s ballot Proposition (M for Marijuana) will ask two-thirds of voters to approve what is essentially a 5 percent tax on marijuana sales — or $50 per $1,000. Mind you, the city believes these dispensaries are illegal.
The ballot even includes the words “recognizing that the sale of marijuana is illegal.” The city attorneys says “”Accordingly, based on the illegality of the sale of marijuana and on the exemption from business taxes or fees for organizations that operate on a not for profit basis, the proposed measure would be of little or no effect.”
Then again, the amateur politicians on council have not done too much listening to their attorney as they have sought the spotlight on the medical marijuana issue at the expense of solving some of the real issues facing the city.
In light of the fact that it is seeking tax revenue from businesses it alleges are illegal, how about a tax on chop shops?
We can think of other things “M” stands for but then someone has to remain professional amid the city’s mess.
The CANNABIS LAW GROUP offers experienced and aggressive representation to the medical marijuana industry in Southern California– including growers, dispensaries and collectives, patients and those facing marijuana charges. Call 949-375-4734 for a confidential consultation to discuss your rights.