Welcome to hump day/hemp day on the stash! We have many warriors in our Cannabis Army and today we meet JERRY CHIAPPETTA JR. who tells it like it is in “The Reefer Song”. Jerry is a real renaissance man and his music transports me back to a time when feel-good music was king and an easy-going love song with a little guitar was the only soundtrack you needed. Jerry calls Naples, Florida home and that laid-back beach attitude is reflected in his music. A gifted songwiter, Jerry reminds me of Jimmy Buffet or Sammy Johns with a message I can believe in. A line in his lyrics, “here is a solution to our Country’s debt, we need to wrap it up and tax it so it’s easier to get” should end with a “Hallelujah!” You can hear more of Jerry Chiappetta’s music on his myspace page, and you can download his music on Itunes.
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Oh, yeah. I must add one last important point: taxing marijuana has brought our society so much good in the past, why not do it some more?
-ED
Jerry,
I don’t want anyone to interpret any of my statements as a slam against your music. I haven’t even listened to that podcast, yet. I am just arguing about freedom. And, I guess, strategy with regard to the most appropriate way to end the unjust prohibition of responsible marijuana use.
-ED
Four legs good, two legs bad!
-GO
Whistlebritches,
Thank you very much for your kind words about my song. Yes, some folks just don’t get the big picture, but you can bet your bottom dollar that at each of my gigs, I’ll be singing “here is a solution to our Country’s Debt, we need to wrap it up and tax it so it’s easier to get”. I remain optimistic that one of these politicians will get their head out of the sand and come to the realization that there are far more pro’s than con’s to the national legalization and taxation of marijuana. Thanks to wonderful organizations like NORML, I’m confident it will happen providing that we do not give up the fight.
Love & Peace,
Jerry Chiappetta, Jr.
Jerry, Great song, keep up the good work. Too bad someone with way too much free time hijacked this blog to rant about taxes.
My concern is that there are some who try to pitch marijuana to greedy legislators as a new revenue source for government. This is, at best, bass ackwards. Marijuana is special, and in my opinion, could be arguably eligible as exempt from taxation due to its use as a religious sacrament, or as a tool to explore your own consciousness. Tax hemp for fiber? I have no problem with that.
Some things are so sacred, though, that government has no legitimate grounds for creating undue hardships for citizens who would like to exercise their right to partake in the experience. If the tax did not create an undue hardship, and there was a legitimate reason for the tax, then there may be an argument to allow it. One possible way to deal with the issue might be to allow the tax with the provision that the government shall guarantee access to the marijuana for low income citizens to whom the tax would be an undue burden. Maybe we could call that “Medicare Part M.”
However, I am concerned that this side steps the issue of forcing government to acknowledge that it has no legitimate authority from prohibiting citizens from using marijuana in a responsible manner. Now, lately, at this site, I have been arguing about a fundamental natural right of each person to defend himself or herself. Certainly, each person also has a right, just as fundamental and natural, to explore his or her own consciousness. Government has no legitimate interest or authority to prohibit citizens from exercising this right responsibly.
I feel that government must first be forced to acknowledge and subordinate itself to this fundamental natural right. The consciousness of a free citizen is not the dominion of the government. This is about as fundamental as an issue can be. And the right of citizens to use substances such as marijuana responsibly, for religion, self exploration, or recreation, must be dealt with first. Then we can talk about legitimate reasons and ways to tax this product. Otherwise, the government will continue under the delusion that it has some legitimate authority to control the consciousness of the citizens. This is a deadly threat to the freedom of all of us.
Again, I have no problem with taxing commercial production of hemp for fiber. That sounds like a great idea, as long as the taxes are reasonable. Our country could benefit greatly from the development of this resource.
-ED
Thanks for your comments on my song. I for one agree with Radical Russ on the taxing issue. Here is the link you can check out the song at: http://www.photostix.com/jc.html
Just click on the song graphic and it will play in full, or visit iTunes. Thanks again, your comments are greatly appreciated!
Well, do you oppose the taxation of any other consumer good?
The idea behind “tax and regulate” is that in order for anything to be taxed, it must be legal. Certainly you didn’t think that when marijuana is re-legalized that it would be produced, bought, and sold tax-free while people pay taxes on milk, land, roads, schools, and disposable diapers.
I know where you’re going with “rights”, and to that I’ll agree, to a point. We have the unalienable right to grow any crop the earth provides for us for personal use. So I wouldn’t support taxing the home marijuana grower. But once it starts getting away from “gardening” levels and into “farming” levels, I don’t see why cannabis should be treated any differently than corn or cashews.
I have not yet heard this song, but I strongly oppose the idea of taxing marijuana, its production, or its use. I don’t understand why I see so much support for this on, supposedly, pro drug websites. How about a tax on your freedom of speech? Let’s tax your right to peaceably assemble. Sure, why not tax you every time you want to exercise any right?
Here’s a better idea: How about the government respect the rights of the people to act freely and responsibly, as they wish?
Boo to any tax on marijuana, or on any other right.
-ED