Upholding decades old tax could mean more revenue in state coffers, a state senator says. A state lawmaker is pushing to enforce a tax on pot dealers.
The Advocate reports that the tax was created in the 1990s, allowing pot dealers to avoid the risk of having their valuables seized upon arrest by purchasing stamps from the state revenue department for $3.50 per gram of marijuana.
State Sen. Dan Claitor, R-Baton Rouge, says enforcing the tax would help generate extra revenue for the state, but notes he is not calling for decriminalization:
Claitor said he is not advocating going in the same direction as Colorado and Rhode Island. He told revenue department officials that they should pursue collecting Louisiana's marijuana tax or seek to purge the law from the books.
In 2010, more than $26,000 was collected in marijuana and controlled substance taxes. Yet, that figure dropped to just over $500 in 2011, according to The Advocate.
Read more here.