Greetings everyone! This is my first post so please go easy on me.
Right off, there is a lot of good info and good debate going on in this thread. I really enjoy the level of smarts here vs other forums. That being said, I can see a lot of the benefits on both sides of the issue(s), decriminalize, legalize, tax or no tax. Let me just say from my own personal experiences, I graduated with a degree in Bio/Chem and was an Environmental Scientist for several years for the govt. I started out wanting to help steer and fix issues that I felt were important to us all. However I became frustrated with the absolute lunacy, minutia, and corruptness of it all. Surely I could have stayed in my field, kept going along with it all, and been paid rather nicely. But the urgency and importance of issues still would have been thrown to the back burner. I took a step back and listened to a very wise and very wealthy source. He told me “Your heart is in the right place, but govt. is not about heart, it’s about dollars. Sadly you can’t save a forest or farm with heart. You need money. Then you can do with it what you want…ala the golden rule.” Suffice it to say I left that job and went on my own. Started my own business and 10 years later, sold it. My mentor was right…I made the money and the rules and shit got done.
What’s the point here? After running a company for 10 years….I can say I really don’t like taxes. But who the hell does? They are just a part of the game, a necessary evil if you will. So just learn to just deal with them in the best and most productive way possible…hire a good accountant, hahaha:)
Really though if you don’t like the govt in your business, or fear that they will ruin it, then start your own business, play nice in the sandbox and make enough money to change the rules. That’s what I see with Oakdam, not that I agree with their philosophies…I’m just commenting on the current status quo.
Now on tax: Tax is the least of my worries. My fear is quality (strain, content, vendors) control more than anything. I’m sure the legislation will be subpar the first time around, but we can change that as time goes by. Right now I see too much crap out there and more and more shady morons getting into the arena. We need better regulation. Maybe some don’t want that but with regulation will come competition. People will get weeded out (no pun intended) and cream will rise to the top.
My 2cents
-T