Taxing an Illegal Drug Is Hypocritical

There is a proposal for this coming City Council meeting to tax the sale of marijuana at medical marijuana clinics.

Please follow along on how hypocritical this is:

First dismiss the fact that some "other cities do it." Some other cities do a lot of things that we don't do -- which is why we answer when kids plea -- everybody does it -- "we're not everybody."

Ok so here's the deal. It is illegal to sell and transport and possess marijuana. But because in California we recognize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, non profit collectives are allowed to grow and distribute (not sell) marijuana for medical purposes.

A. How can a city tax an illegal transaction? If it is illegal to sell marijuana and only non profits -- which are exempt from taxes -- can distribute medical marijuana, how is it again that we would taxing this?

B. Here's the part that really gets me. If marijuana distributed at a collective is considered "medicine" how could we tax it? California does not tax pharmaceuticals -- so how then is it okay to tax this medicine?

Either marijuana is an illegal drug and last time I checked we don't tax drug dealers -- or it is medicine -- and we don't tax medicine. Which is it? Because if it isn't medicine, then folks we have no business allowing it to be dispensed in Long Beach. And if it is medicine, why don't we tax all medicine sold in the City?

ESPN to Feature LB's Own Bille Jean King on July 3rd.

 (Note -- I was fortunate to attend the taping of this show. Long Beach should be very proud of Billie Jean King -- pay particular attention to how King points out several times that if it had not been for Long Beach free tennis program -- she would not have been able to learn how to play!!)

ESPN to Air ‘Homecoming with Rick Reilly’”
Featuring Tennis Legend Billie Jean King On July 3

Tennis legend Billie Jean King, who grew up learning how to play tennis in Long Beach, will be featured on ESPN’s “Homecoming with Rick Reilly” on Saturday, July 3, at 4 pm on Long Beach Charter Communications Channel 35. The program will repeat on Friday, July 9, at 4:00 pm on ESPN2, Channel 36.

The “Homecoming” series challenges the old adage “You can't go home again.”

On April 14, Long Beach welcomed tennis legend Billie Jean King back to her hometown for the taping of ESPN’s  "Homecoming with Rick Reilly” at the Billie Jean Moffitt King Tennis Center in Recreation Park. Filming also took place at Houghton Park where Ms. King took her first tennis lesson with instructor Clyde Walker. She practiced regularly at the courts now named in her honor, and her brother Randy Moffit played next door at Joe Rodgers Field.

In the program, Ms. King describes how Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine programs contributed to her success and provided her with opportunities that weren’t available in other communities.

Ms. King’s career highlights include 20 Wimbledon titles – six singles, ten doubles and four mixed. She won 12 Grand Slam  singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles.

For more information about the program, visit www.espn.com/homecoming