The market for stamp collectors is the one that Louisiana received last year. I don’t think they have even recovered the cost of printing the stamps. .”
By Piper Hutchinson, LA Illuminator
A Louisiana House Committee voted Monday against a bill that would have repealed an illegal marijuana tax that is rarely used and enforced.
House Bill 492, sponsored by Rep. Joe Marino, (I), would have eliminated a program which required dealers to purchase stamps for each parcel of illegal marijuana they sold.
The bill was defeated in the House Committee on Ways and Means on a 6-7 voting, with Republican Reps. Ryan Bourriaque and Jeremy LaCombe joining Democrats to support the bill.
Marino stated that the state Department of Revenue administering the program is still using the first batch of stamps from 1990 when the program was launched. Marino brought a book containing stamps with numbers in the nine thousands to the meeting of the committee, indicating that not many have been sold.
Marino stated that Louisiana received $1,900 [last year] in revenue and the target market was stamp collectors. “I’m not sure if they’ve recovered the cost of printing the stamps.”
Dealers are required to stamp each gram sold of marijuana with a stamp that costs $3.50. This amounts to nearly $100 in tax per ounce.
Marino has been a criminal lawyer for over 31 years. He said that he has handled thousands of marijuana-related cases in his 31 years as a lawyer.
Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association did not testify Monday against the bill.
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Rep. Les Farnum, (R), expressed concern that the sheriffs’ association would oppose the bill as it would limit the ability of law enforcement to crackdown on drug crimes.
Farnum asked, “Does the stamp program give them another tool to push the hammer deeper?”
Marino told Farnum that he couldn’t explain why the sheriffs were opposed to the bill, but wished they would have come to the hearing and stated their opposition.
In an interview following the hearing, Marino stated that he believed the association was opposed to the bill because it dealt with marijuana.
A representative from the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association did not respond to a comment request.
Originally published by Louisiana Illuminator.
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The article Louisiana Lawmakers defeat bill to repeal marijuana stamp tax for illegal sellers first appeared on Marijuana Moment.
