Putting the Bud in 'Budget'

[TexasTowelie]

Legal marijuana tax revenue won’t solve all our problems, but it sure can help.

This past week, Thousands Of Arizona teachers walked out in protest of spiraling state funding for schools. While Gov. Doug Ducey rolls his eyes and insists he's doing the best he can, the "education governor" may be overlooking a potential source of revenue: marijuana taxes.

While taxes from legalizing marijuana would never amount to the $650 million Ducey said the state needs to fund the 20 percent raise in teacher salaries, let alone the cash needed for other K-12 faculty and school supplies, certainly the millions in revenue are worth discussing.

During the 2016 campaign for Proposition 205, the last major push Arizona voters made for legalization (which ended up failing by less than 3 percentage points), the Arizona Joint Legislative Budget Committee estimated $123 million in tax revenue from legal marijuana sales.

The proposition earmarked about $55 million for schools, including $22 million for operation costs, $22 million for full-day kindergarten programs and $11 million for programs on substance abuse.

Read more: https://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/putting-the-bud-in-budget/Content?oid=16176967

[bluedigger]

1. Tax cannabis users when they have a right to employment.

Tax urinalysis leaches until then.