File this story under “Deliciously Ironic Things Democrats Do.” California Democrats have prided themselves on being the most progressive, forward-minded people in the country. They are often the first to pass extreme legislation that is on the cutting edge of the liberal agenda. That includes pro-gay policies, protection for transgender people, and—of course—legalizing various drugs.
We heard no end of crowing when Democrats in CA passed a bill to legalize marijuana. Not only did they claim this would be good for the state’s economy, but they tried to make it sound like some kind of victory for social justice and the rights of Americans. Because, you know, potheads are the most oppressed group on the planet.
And the drug peddlers of the state thought their ship had come in. Now, they can legally sell marijuana, without fear of prosecution. But that progressive agenda is a two-edged sword. Because, while marijuana is legal in CA, so is their runaway, high-tax, heavy regulation, socialist agenda. And it’s literally killing the industry.
The legal marijuana industry in California is allegedly “collapsing” amid the state’s regulatory regime.
In a letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom, State Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins, and State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, a group of cannabis industry leaders wrote that “we have been pushed to a breaking point” because of the regulatory system put in place after voters in the state passed Proposition 64, which decriminalized marijuana use and cultivation for adults over the age of 21…
“It is critical to recognize that an unwillingness to effectively legislate, implement, and oversee a functional regulated cannabis industry has brought us to our knees.” […]
“Without meaningful change, many, if not most licensed cannabis companies, will face a desperate choice: pay exorbitant taxes into a system designed for failure or pay employees so they can feed their families. None of us want to make this choice,” the groups said. [Source: Breitbart]
The irony is so thick you can almost taste it. Far-left California scored a win for its progressive agenda by legalizing marijuana sale and use. But the heavy, socialist-style tax system of the once-Golden State is pushing the entire industry on the brink of collapse.
It’s kind of a Catch-22 scenario. They wouldn’t have been able to legalize pot without these progressive lawmakers. But these same lawmakers are the ones pushing job-killing taxes and regulation.
Hey, potheads! Welcome to Communist California! This is the same garbage every other business has to deal with. Legions of business owners have fled the state, over the same problems. The runaway Democrat state government has hammered businesses with unrealistic taxes, fees, and regulations. Businesses from nearly every industry either had to flee or die.
But, unlike Tesla and Elon Musk, pot sellers just can’t move to Texas. Few states have legalized recreational marijuana. And those that did most likely have similar high taxes and heavy regulation as California.
So, I’m afraid these buds are out of options. I’d be sad if they were doing something that actually made our world a better place.
Author: James Smith
