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US Government Avoids Marijuana Legalization Because It’s Earning More Money Under Prohibition

Mike Adams
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US Government Avoids Marijuana Legalization Because It’s Earning More Money Under Prohibition

Now that nine states have legalized marijuana for recreational use, with others, like New York, expected to follow suit in the next legislative session, it seems like it would be more of a hassle these days for the U.S. government to maintain its prohibitionary standard. Depending on who you ask, more members of Congress than ever before are excited about the possibility of legalizing marijuana at the nation level, but the fact remains there still is not enough support in either chamber to put pot in the ranks of legitimate commerce in a manner similar to alcohol and tobacco. But more than 60 percent of the population supports this reform. So, what is the real hold up? According to a recent report from Motley Fool, it could be because Uncle Sam is earning more money with marijuana being illegal than it would under a taxed and regulated system.

Sure, there are countless conspiracy theories to explain why the federal government still refuses to legalize marijuana at the national level. Some believe that the alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceutical companies are paying off the lawmakers on Capitol Hill to prevent the herb from being pulled from the black market. While this may have been true in the past, it seems unlikely that such underhanded dealings are happening now, as large corporations connected to these sectors are presently investing in the cannabis trade. Constellation Brands, maker of Corona; Molson Coors; Imperial Brands, the company behind the Kool and Winston cigarette brand; and GW Pharmaceuticals, creators of the first-ever FDA-approved cannabis medicine, are all getting into the ganja game.

Others believe the federal government is simply looking out for our best interest,  that it’s worried that marijuana legalization will lead to increased crime, higher addiction rates and more hazardous roadways as a result of stoned driving. And there is also the issue of us still not fully understanding the pros and cons of the cannabis plant, so government health officials worry that allowing adults to consume marijuana freely might lead to a nation of mental defectives. These are just some of the excuses that lawmakers on the Hill often give to get out of supporting marijuana legalization.

But Uncle Sam and all of his suits and cronies are doing nothing to get to the bottom of any of it.

The real reason Congress isn’t budging on marijuana could have more to do with a section of the U.S. tax code (280E) that continues to rake marijuana businesses over the coals. Highly profitable cannabis operations are being forced to pay well over half their earnings to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). If they don’t, they can be shut down and even prosecuted.

“With the exception of cost of goods, which typically represents a small percentage of expenses, [marijuana] businesses are unable to take any additional deductions,” wrote MF journalist Sean Williams. “If profitable, this can lead to an effective tax rate perhaps as high as 70% to 90%! Expansion at the state level with effective tax rates this high could provide the federal government with more annual tax revenue than if the drug were legalized and taxed at a lower rate.”

There have been amendments introduced in the past aimed at allowing state complainant cannabis businesses to take normal deductions. But these efforts have been rejected.

“It’s all about the money,” Williams wrote. “While I certainly can’t prove that this is the big sticking point on Capitol Hill, it’s likely to be a difficult hurdle for the industry to overcome.”

Is Nevada Smoking The Competition Or Is Sin City Not Living Up To The Tax Revenue Hype?

Sara Somerset
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Is Nevada Smoking The Competition Or Is Sin City Not Living Up To The Tax Revenue Hype?

Las Vegas is known for excess and vice; Sin City has been rife with gambling and showgirls since its inception. But these days, marijuana is the main attraction. According to Nevada state marijuana regulators, once June sales are tallied, the annual total is expected to exceed $500 million, putting tax revenue at approximately $70 million. About $25 million in tax revenue is designated for Nevada’s public and charter schools.

Pot pundit Mona Zhang tells Forbes that Nevada made $30 million in marijuana taxes during the first six months of sales.

These figures may seem staggering, but they are a drop in the bucket considering revenues in support of Nevada’s public K-12 schools for the fiscal year of 2014 were approximately $4.3 billion. This figure represents a decrease of 2.4 percent from the fiscal year 2009 when revenues totaled $4.5 billion, according to The National Center for Education Statistics.

Associated Press, via U.S. News and World Report, reported that Nevada earned more in its first six months of legalization in 2017 than Colorado did in 2014. This analysis is somewhat flawed. Why not compare cannabis revenue from each state during the same calendar or fiscal year?

Mr. Jerry Chin is an Enrolled Agent and California-based tax accountant. His clients in the cannabis industry include dispensaries, retailers, and growers.

“I concur that comparing first-year sales in Nevada in 2017 to first-year sales in Colorado in 2014 is comparing apples and oranges. The market, products, society, and all relevant factors are completely different in 2017 versus 2014.” said Chin.

Other factors that contribute to discrepancies are the supply shortage that occurred in Nevada when they first legalized marijuana, and the fact that Colorado has more stringent reporting of legal sales.

According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, the unofficial weed capital of America raked in $1,507,702,219 from pot sales in 2017 – over a billion dollars more than Nevada in the same year. It seems Colorado is rolling in more dough.

“Colorado is unquestionably and empirically the leader in tax collection among legal states,” says Chin.

In the first five months of 2018, Colorado has collected $612,864,790, while according to Nevada’s Department of Taxation, their marijuana industry generated $30,376,795 in tax revenue for the state in the first six months. That means in the first half of 2018; Colorado smoked Nevada’s marijuana sales by 582,487,995.

Keep in mind, retail marijuana in Nevada is subject to the following taxes:

  • 15 percent excise tax on the wholesale sale, paid by the cultivator
  • 10 percent excise tax on the retail sale, paid by the retail store
  • Retail sales tax at the local rate
  • The 15 percent excise tax on the wholesale sale is calculated on the Fair Market Value at Wholesale, established by the Department of Taxation.

According to the government in Nevada, during the 2017 legislative session, the tax structure for medical marijuana was changed from 2 percent excise tax on each sale to 15 percent excise tax on the wholesale sale, paid by the cultivator.

This change means marijuana establishments that hold both medical registration certificates and retail licenses do not have to designate which portion of their inventory is medical, and which is retail. Marijuana inventory can be kept as a single stream until the point it is sold to the consumer. If it is sold to a retail customer, the additional 10 percent retail excise tax will be applied. If it is sold to a medical cardholder, the 10 percent will not be applied to the sale. Regular sales tax at the local rate will be charged to both medical and retail customers.

Revenue from the 15 percent wholesale excise tax will go toward Nevada schools (less the amount to cover the costs of the program for the state and local governments).

Revenue from the 10 percent retail excise tax will go the state Rainy Day Fund.

In Colorado, meanwhile, the state sales tax rate on all tangible personal property, including marijuana, is 2.9 percent. These taxes are charged on the final consumer purchase price. According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, there is a 15 percent state retail marijuana sales tax rate on all sales of retail marijuana and retail marijuana-infused products, charged on the final consumer purchase price. This tax rate increased from 10 percent to 15 percent on July 1, 2017.

There was a 5 percent higher state sales tax on recreational marijuana In Nevada, than in Colorado, when the 2017 figures were calculated. That is a contributing factor as to why Nevada would appear to be in the lead. Now that the marijuana tax rates are equal in both states, it is anybody’s guess which state will raise the most green in 2018.

Marijuana tax arbitrage will become a competitive edge to those in the marijuana industry who can take advantage of differing tax rates across state borders.

A $500 million industry has created thousands of new jobs in Nevada in the short span of one year. Taxable marijuana sales are a massive contributor to the local economy through tax revenue, creating funding for schools, and through increased employment.

Jennifer Aniston Is Spending Time With A New Man; Royals Might Fight The Markles With ‘More Aggressive Strategy’

Naughty Gossip
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Jennifer Aniston Is Spending Time With A New Man; Royals Might Fight The Markles With ‘More Aggressive Strategy’

IS JENNIFER ANISTON SPENDING TIME WITH HER MUCH-YOUNGER BOXING TRAINER?

This is what she said in InStyle:

MM: What’s your exercise of choice?
JA: Last year I discovered boxing, and I love it. I have this trainer named Leyon, who I believe hung the moon. It’s the longest workout I’ve actually stayed with consistently other than yoga. There’s something about the mental aspect of boxing — the drills, your brain has to work, you’re not just sitting on a bike. It’s amazing.

MM: I knew you wanted to punch someone!
JA: Boxing is a great way to get aggression out. You get a mental release of all this crap you’re taking into your ears and eyes every day and have little fantasy moments imagining who you’re actually punching. I’m just grateful it’s not actually the person, even though there’s one person. You know what I mean. It’s all good.

[From InStyle]

ET: THE ROYALS MIGHT FIGHT THE MARKLES WITH A ‘MORE AGGRESSIVE STRATEGY’

Meghan is still upset with her dad: “She has not spoken to her father in more than 10 weeks since her wedding and is still hurt by her father, who has both staged the photos and continues to give paid interviews,” a source says. “The Palace is at a loss of what to do and is re-evaluating options, including a more aggressive strategy to stem the embarrassment caused by Meghan’s dad, half-sister and half-brother.”

Meghan is completely in the royal fold: “Meghan has established a particularly warm relationship with her father-in-law and Prince Charles adores his new daughter-in-law,” the source says of Harry’s father. “He pulled out all the stops at Harry and Meghan’s wedding and Meghan was grateful to him for showing such generosity and support when her father pulled out of the wedding last minute.”

She’s going to Balmoral, and she might shoot stuff: “Meghan’s looking forward to spending time in the Scottish Highlands. [Prince] William, Kate [Middleton] and the kids [Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis] are also due to visit the Queen for their annual visit to her summer home. The vacation is filled with barbecues, hiking, and shooting, although it is unclear if Meghan will learn the sport that Kate has picked up from various visits.”

Samantha Grant on Meghan: “I speak to [Thomas Markle] every day and it’s sad but, no, they have not contacted him… There is no meeting planned, that is PR spin. The PR machines can stop trying to make out she’s making an effort — she is not. This is a heartbreaking time for him and I’m very sad watching my sister ignore him.”

[From ET]

This Guy’s Tipping Method Is Going Viral Because He’s A Jackass

Amy Hansen
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This Guy’s Tipping Method Is Going Viral Because He’s A Jackass

The internet is about to flip over its collective table after hearing the story of a guy who took his wife out to dinner and completely demeaned their server for a whopping $5 tip.

He was just having fun, but the way he tells it, it sounds way more like harassment. And people are not letting that slide.

Here’s what happened, according to his Facebook post.

The clueless diner began by setting the scene: He was taking “the wife” out to dinner and the two of them had talked about experimenting with a bizarre tipping method in which he lays down five one-dollar bills and takes one away every time the server “messes up” (whatever that means). The amount left standing on the table after dinner is how much the lucky server is ultimately tipped. (By the way, it doesn’t mention anything in his post about actually adding money to the pot, just subtracting it.)

“Don’t say anything to them,” he wrote. “You will receive the best service of your life.”

Best service of your life…for five bucks. Sure.

https://giphy.com/gifs/movie-amber-heard-middle-finger-MnsVET6mLWiCA

He goes on to say that the “waitress” kept looking at the money “as if she was confused.” But hang on, the little lady must have done something right (like not beating the crap out of this a-hole), because she earned every single dollar on that table, even though the dude took away a dollar at one point because she forgot to bring some bread. “But she bounced back and gave us extra.”

We’re guessing the server actually earned about 20 times the amount she received.

The sadist ended his rambling by saying, “Haha all in all a great evening with my love and a good dinner experiment we both wanted to see play out. Try it, you will be surprised!”

Needless to say, social media had a field day with this disrespectful dumbass after his Facebook post was tweeted by Atlanta newscaster Mark Arum, who was himself a former waiter.

https://twitter.com/theOperative_/status/1025099951787974657

As The Daily Meal  points out, this ridiculous tipping method isn’t new. It even garnered a nod from Third Rock From the Sun (even Dick’s pile of cash had the potential to accumulate), but to hear about this playing out in real life? That’s a twisted version of The Hunger Games nobody wants to be the target of.

Do Beauty Pillows And Pillowcases Improve Your Skin

Maria Loreto
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Do Beauty Pillows And Pillowcases Improve Your Skin

There’s all sorts of products that claim to make your skin healthier and more beautiful. Of course, they all come with ranging degrees of believability.

While it’s hard to believe in a miracle cure that claims to fix all of your skin imperfections, there are some products that are supported by science and that, when used regularly, really improve your skin’s health. Does this belief extend itself to special pillows and pillowcases that claim to benefit your skin and to take your beauty sleep to the next level?

NewYorkMag.com spoke to several dermatologists on the matter, where they discussed all sorts of pillow and pillowcase products and detailed their level of helpfulness. Some do the trick, others are just expensive.

Silk pillowcases

These pillowcases, unlike the ones made of cotton and linen, are supposed to glide over your face and reduce the pulling and friction that causes wrinkles on your skin. “I can see how sleeping on silk may rub against the skin with less friction, although I’m not sure that this makes any significant difference with long-term wrinkle prevention,” says Julia Tzu, founder of Wall Street Dermatology.

Still, Tzu believes that these pillowcases can help those who sleep on their side, easing the friction on their faces. They’re also great for people’s hair. Candida Lawson, skin therapist at Heyday facial shop believes that silk pillowcases help prevent hair breakage and make your blowouts last longer.

While pricey, silk pillowcases feel really good against your skin and make it feel soft and smooth the next morning. The results may be temporary, but you might get better sleep out of it, which in turn affects your overall health. Prices range from sort of cheap, to pricey for a pillowcase.

Pillowcases for acne

While there are no magic pillowcases and pillows that will prevent your face from breaking out, sleeping on your back can help you keep your face off the pillow and avoid wrinkles and spreading your natural oiliness.

There are several pillows on the market which can help you stay on your back comfortably, changing your sleeping habits and taking care of your skin in the long term. You can find some of these on Amazon and Dermstore.

Sateen sheets

A post shared by bedroommood (@bedroommood) on

Even though there is no scientific research that supports that sateen sheets and pillowcases make your skin healthier, Patricia Wexler from Wexler Dermatology claims that everyone who uses sateen sheets knows that their skin is much smoother in the morning. “You wake up with fresher-looking hair and skin, and you get a better night’s sleep,” she told NewYorkMag.com.

Her favorites are from Calvin Klein, which you can purchase here.

Detergent for pillowcases

Some dermatologists believe that gentle detergents for babies can help your skin stay healthier. Ivory Snow for babies is free of harsh chemicals that can latch onto your skin and cause irritations. Tzu also suggests to avoid using Fabric softeners, which contain chemicals and fragrances that can irritate and harm your skin.

Washing your pillowcases weekly with hypoallergenic detergent and hot water can also help prevent the spreading of bacteria and the damage it can cause your skin.

Canadian Marijuana Investors Are Banned From Entering The US

Brendan Bures
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Canadian Marijuana Investors Are Banned From Entering The US

When crossing the border into the United States, Canadians have been instructed by their government to be honest when answering questions from border security agents. But if you’re associated with the cannabis industry or an avid cannabis user, that might not be such a good idea.

According to a report from Business in Vancouver, Canadian cannabis executives and those open about past marijuana usage are being barred from the U.S. for life. Blaine Immigration lawyer Len Saunders said that a stack of lifetime bans have been issued against cannabis-sector executives in the country, citing at least 12 cases in recent months. Before April, Saunders says he never heard of a cannabis executive receiving lifetime bans just because of their investments.

Saunders, a Canadian who is now a naturalized U.S. citizen, places blame at the feet of new Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction Bill Blair. In interviews, Blair has instructed Canadians to always answer truthfully to U.S. border agent questions. However, that could sadly end with those honest Canadians receiving lifetime bans. Saunders advises citizens to say absolutely nothing. Though this might result in a temporary ban, it’s a preferable alternative in Saunders’ eyes.

“The Canadian government just doesn’t get it. They have a lack of understanding,” Saunders told BIV.

Among those executives penalized for their investments is Sam Znaimer. The Vancouver-based venture capitalist told BIV earlier this year about investing “several” million dollars into 16 different private cannabis companies. Znaimer’s LinkedIn and other internet sources showed his involvement with cannabis companies. In May, Znaimer was stopped while crossing the border and received a lifetime ban.

“I have not been charged with any crime,” Znaimer told BIV. “I have not committed any crime. The things that I do are things that Americans do in the tens of thousands with no repercussions. It is purely because I’m Canadian and I don’t have any of the rights of a U.S. resident or citizen that they can find me to be inadmissible to enter the country.”

His problem was investing in two U.S.-based cannabis companies, according to Saunders. Associations with U.S.-based cannabis companies, including owning U.S real estate and leasing it to marijuana companies, could result in a lifetime ban for Canadians. Saunders advises to invest only in Canadian cannabis companies to stay safe.

“Divest from any U.S. cannabis company or stop travelling to the U.S. Otherwise, you’re playing with fire,” Saunders said.

Why Your Doctor Won’t Prescribe Medical Marijuana

Thomas Green, MD
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Why Your Doctor Won’t Prescribe Medical Marijuana

Here is our doctor’s take on why your doctor won’t prescribe medical marijuana.

Patients turn to their physician hoping for a diagnosis, guidance and treatment for their symptoms. Many come up with a question as to whether cannabis is an option for treatment. It is not unusual that they feel as if they hit a brick wall with discussing this as a treatment option.

I think it is important that patients are able to see the handcuffs that medical physicians are in with the cannabis discussion. We should first look at the acceptance of medical marijuana by my medical colleagues. 

In 2013, a New England Journal of Medicine survey reported that 76 percent of North American physicians felt that medical marijuana should be used in certain circumstances. 

The case in point was a 68-year-old woman with metastatic breast cancer who might have improvement in symptoms with medical marijuana. This is an extreme case looking at end of life decisions and palliation (relief of symptoms) as opposed to patients with curable diseases who have years to live. On both sides of the discussion, physicians called for more research of cannabis to have a stronger basis of evidence for or against the use of medical marijuana.

Medical physicians are held to a higher standard than other caregivers when it comes to making a diagnosis and treatment options. This is a good thing in that it requires a more scientific approach to diseases and treatments. This, however, can handcuff physicians when treating patients.

We are trained in pharmaceuticals as part of medical school. We are taught both the science and the art of medicine. At this time, we know of anecdotal side effects of cannabis, but we cannot give our patients a complete list and percent chance of side effect based upon FDA guidelines. 

Physicians take a malpractice risk whenever prescribing any medication. This risk increases when prescribing medications off label from FDA guidelines. If a patient suffers from a side effect after receiving a prescription of an FDA Schedule I medication (heroin, LSD, marijuana), there would be no legal defense. Furthermore, prescribing a Schedule I medication would be breaking federal law unless under a very unusual circumstance or in a FDA-controlled study.

It takes years of study and national board testing to obtain an FDA license. One felony conviction would threaten that along with the loss of a medical license. Would it be responsible for an M.D. to risk losing the ability to care for a large population of patients by breaking the law in prescribing cannabis?

When cannabis is federally legalized and studied by the FDA, we could then have proper medical education for our physicians who can then prescribe it with less fear of clinical errors and legal ramifications. A study in 2016 revealed that none of the American medical schools had a structured course in endocannabinoid science.

I have been asked by patients to discuss the use of medical marijuana for diseases for which there is little scientific or anecdotal evidence for use in the disease. Should I encourage them to try it just in case it improves the symptoms? Could this delay other treatment options until it is too late for them to be effective? How should I decide upon a combination of CBD and THC? What dosage should I encourage them to try? Can I rely on the provenance of the marijuana sold in all medical marijuana shops?

Most medical physicians who want to consider the option of medical marijuana do so by referring their patients onto other caregivers who hold medical marijuana licenses.

It is my responsibility as a trained caregiver to attempt to alleviate symptoms and cure disease within the realm of my training. It is not proper medicine to delay treatment options that we know are effective in order to offer more psychologically acceptable options without scientific basis.

I look forward to the time that we have federal acceptance of marijuana, proper studies of the drug and improved education of its effects and side effects.

Alexa Can Now Let You Know If It Figures Out An Answer It Didn’t Know Before

Maria Loreto
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Alexa Can Now Let You Know If It Figures Out An Answer It Didn’t Know Before

It’s common to get no answers from Alexa at times, either because you didn’t phrase the question the right way or your word choice was off base. But this issue is one of the main drawbacks of the device, making you feel like it’s not as smart and useful as Amazon claims it is.

Voice enabled devices are very sophisticated, yet they’re still a work in progress, constantly trying to improve their services and learning about the many layers that make up the basis of communication between humans.

Over the next week, Amazon is rolling out a new feature called Answer Update, which will alert users when Alexa has found an answer to one of the questions they asked and didn’t get an initial answer to. According to TechCrunch, this is done to let users improve and interact with Alexa’s Knowledge Graph — an informational database that contains general knowledge facts and figures that Alexa uses to answer users’ questions.

To turn on the update, say “Alexa, turn on Answer Update.” Once this is done, Alexa will reply by saying,“”If you ask me a question and I don’t know the answer but I find out later, I’ll notify you.” The feature can be turned off by saying “Alexa, turn off Answer Update.”

While Alexa is still the leading voice assistant in the industry, the Google Home has been improving steadily, gathering acclaim due to Google’s large Knowledge Graph. This makes a lot of sense; Google is the largest and most reliable search engine in the world, linking you to all parts of the Internet.

According to a study conducted by AdWeek, the Google Home is six times more likely to answer a question than Alexa. CNBC predicts that the consumption of the Google Home will grow in the US and abroad in the coming months.

In order for Amazon to remain at the top of the AI business, Alexa needs to become smarter and more reliable as soon as possible.

Lead Art: www.quotecatalog.com

Seth Rogen Shares Priceless ‘Pineapple Express’ Stories For Movie’s 10th Anniversary

Brendan Bures
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Seth Rogen Shares Priceless ‘Pineapple Express’ Stories For Movie’s 10th Anniversary

It’s hard to remember a time when Seth Rogen wasn’t America’s favorite stoner comedian. Starting with the back-to-back releases of Knocked Up and Superbad in 2007, Rogen’s star launched sky high (pun-intended), with both movies quickly becoming cultural touchstones. But is was with 2008’s Pineapple Express that Rogen cemented his status as the sincere goofball stoner that everyone loved.

This week marks the film’s 10th anniversary and so Rogen decided to share some behind-the-scenes tales and fun facts on Twitter. You might not believe this, but some funny stuff went down while filming a movie that includes cross joints, James Franco smashing a bong on Danny McBride’s head, and Bill Hader describing being stoned as feeling like “a slice of butter melting on top of a big ol’ pile of flapjacks.”

Scroll below to read about all the injuries actors suffered on set and how Judd Apatow deemed everyone’s favorite meth kingpin as “not scary enough” to play a drug dealer.

How It All Started

The Injuries

Danny McBride And Stormy Daniels

Bryan Cranston

https://twitter.com/JuddApatow/status/1026635008382038017

Random Notes

NFL Introduces Its First Male Dancers This Season

Amy Hansen
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NFL Introduces Its First Male Dancers This Season

The NFL is making history this season and chances are you’ll appreciate the reason why, even if you’re not a football fan.

For the first time ever, the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints will have male dancers joining the cheerleaders on the sidelines.

Quinton Peron and Napoleon Jinnies found out they made the Rams squad in March.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BguwjDSnh6L/?taken-by=itsaquintonthing

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl4Zs3PATVU/?taken-by=napoleonjinnies

The fact that Peron and Jinnies made the cut inspired 25-year-old Jesse Hernandez to try out for the New Orleans Saints’ Saintsations cheerleading team. He’s the first ever male dancer to join the squad.

He told CNN affiliate KATC that his mom persuaded him to try out. “She told me it was my time to shine,” he said in a video posted before his final audition. “The process has been great, everyone has been really nice to me and I can’t wait to see where this goes.”

But Hernandez says his road to the tryouts wasn’t easy.  A dancer his whole life, he told WDSU News back in April that it was “very difficult” growing up being a male dancer, “But I never gave it up because it’s something that I love to do and I wanted to pursue it when I got out of high school. There was always just little negative things here and there, and of course it kind of hits the ego”.

Said Hernandez, “Of course, there will be some people that may not agree with me being in that dome, but if that happens, I’m there and I’ll smile and wave and live life.”

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