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Comment by ProjectArcturis | Hacker News Reader

Back 20 years ago, the line from legalization advocates was, "Legalize it, and tax the hell out of it." But now that it's legal it's just so much easier to grow and sell mass quantities because law enforcement doesn't care anymore. I think the only way around this is to have dedicated tax enforcement agents whose mission it is to track down illicit weed.

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That was the line from the small fraction of boot licking legalization advocates, wanting to make a Faustian bargain with the state. The "way around this" is to get government the hell out of judging what people choose to put in our own bodies, period. Healthcare is an ongoing mess in large part due to this type of paternalistic intermediation. Oh, you need painkillers? Well you'd better not make that too apparent and instead let the overly egotistical doctor think they've figured it out all by themselves - lest they instead decide that you're engaging in "drug seeking behavior".

Don't they already have a whole dedicated tax enforcement agency or few, making sure that merchants pay the state the Sales Tax, Fuel Tax, Bottle Deposits, Cigarette Tax, etc., ad nauseum that is owed?

I believe the enforcement is federal (ATF). I'd imagine until the fed legalizes it, the process will be messy. You would have to recreate the ATF in each state. ATF also has some pretty sweeping powers that may be tough to replicate (legally) on a state by state basis.

> I believe the enforcement is federal (ATF).

It is not. The Feds, if they legalized could put federal enforcement there, or somewhere else.

In California, enforcement is in the Department of Cannabis Control.

> ATF also has some pretty sweeping powers that may be tough to replicate (legally) on a state by state basis.

Because the federal government is mote Constitutionally restrained than state governments and has a Constitution that is more difficult to change, its much easier to create state agencies with sweeping powers (within the state) than federal ones.

Or maybe just eliminate the taxes? That would save a lot in enforcement costs.

What's the healthcare situation like in California ? Because if it's normal at all, in the end the tax-payer will have to pay for the cancer treatments of weed-smokers.

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