Keller @ Large: Angry Marijuana Advocates Need To Chill Out
BOSTON (CBS) - To hear some legal marijuana advocates tell it, you'd think the crime of the century was occurring at the State House, as the House of Representatives tries to rewrite the pot law approved in a statewide referendum vote last November.
The argument goes like this – how dare the House tamper with the "will of the voters" by raising the tax bite the pro-pot crowd put in the ballot question; how dare the House make the call to ban local pot stores a decision for the communities elected officials to make, instead of holding another referendum. And so on.
Legalizing marijuana for adults was a reasonable move. The black market is huge; by pretending the law banning pot is working, we fool ourselves and miss out on a big chunk of revenue.
Yes, it will create problems, but if that's a disqualifier, why is alcohol legal?
But there's no reason why the legislature shouldn't seek a bigger cut of the proceeds than the rock-bottom tax rate the advocates put in the ballot question.
Elected officials who vote to ban pot sales in their towns can and will be held accountable by their voters, if they disapprove. If they're really mad, they can start the recall process.
And it's news to me that it's somehow corrupt for the legislature to tweak a law passed by ballot initiative.
It's a law.
They're legislators.
Tinkering with the law is what they do.
It'll be interesting to see if lobbying them to tinker things to your liking by denouncing that process is effective.
So please, angry pot advocates, you're going to get legal pot a year from now. The industry will thrive here. Chill out.
Legally, of course.