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Why Commercial/dispensaries Try To Get Ridof Caregivers


Malamute

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Newshawk: http://www.drugsense.org/donate.htm
Pubdate: Mon, 17 Aug 2015
Source: Boston Globe (MA)
Copyright: 2015 Associated Press
Contact: http://services.bostonglobe.com/news/opeds/letter.aspx?id=6340
Website: http://bostonglobe.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/52
Author: Amy Anthony, Associated Press

R.I. REVENUES FROM MEDICAL MARIJUANA MISS THE MARK

PROVIDENCE (AP) - It has been two years since Rhode Island launched
its medical marijuana market and opened dispensaries around the
state, but tax revenues haven't been quite as high as state officials expected.

There are now three medical marijuana dispensaries - also known as
compassion centers - selling marijuana to patients in Rhode Island,
with the state collecting a 4 percent surcharge and a 7 percent sales
tax on all their transactions. While revenues are increasing, some
centers say they're facing increasing competition from caregivers who
can grow and sell medical marijuana without paying taxes to the state.

"There are people out there who've made this a full-time business,"
said Chris Reilly, a spokesman for the Thomas C. Slater Compassion
Center in Providence. "It's a competitive force that's real."

State officials report that medical marijuana revenues are about half
of what was predicted as the state prepared to legalize compassion
centers. The dispensaries don't have to disclose sales figures, but
the state discloses aggregate figures for the revenues it collects.

In 2012, the Rhode Island Department of Revenue estimated that sales
tax from medical marijuana would total approximately $2 million and
that the surcharge would total approximately $1.1 million by 2016.
Now, the department is projecting that sales tax will be about $1
million and the surcharge about $675,000 in fiscal year 2016.

"One million dollars is nothing to sneeze at, but if you think about
meals and beverages, on the sales tax side, that's about 20 percent
of our sales tax, that's $150 million to $160 million a year or
more," said Paul Dion, the chief of the Office of Revenue Analysis at
the state Revenue Department.

The Revenue Department's estimates in 2011 were based on estimates it
received from compassion centers as they prepared to open, Dion said.
The department did not take into account an increase in caregivers
because it expected the compassion centers to do that, he said.

In 2011, there were 2,732 licensed caregivers; now there are 3,245,
according to the Health Department.

While the revenues have been lower than projected, they are
increasing. The Rhode Island Division of Taxation reports the amount
of surcharge revenue the state collects increased from $269,156 in
2014 to $385,724 in 2015, a 43 percent increase.

The number of medical marijuana patients has also increased, from
4,241 in 2011 to 11,620 this year, according to the latest data from
the state Health Department.

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I havent read the ri bill in a long while, and havent been following it as i thought they regionalized licenses for a very small number of prov centers... Actually didnt know about the details of their cg:patient sales

 

But, having only 11620 patients...??? How much did they figure that small of a group of people to actually spend?

 

They estimated 3.1million revenues at 11% tax... That would be 28million in gross sales for 4241 patients in 2012... Or 6600 per patient per year spent, or 550 per month per patient. That seems like an overly 'high' expectation to base revenues upon.

 

And as mal has pointed out... Smart patients realize that they have much better options in quality with caregivers over commercially grown weed. I personally would find a quality cg after the novelty of walking into a pot shop wore off, which is cool to experience for the first time in ones life... But after that, common sense and practical concerns win out, if u r smart.

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The Revenue Department's estimates in 2011 were based on estimates it

received from compassion centers as they prepared to open, Dion said.

The department did not take into account an increase in caregivers

because it expected the compassion centers to do that, he said.

 

 

 

 The key quote.  They LIED.

 

Heh.

 

Now I bet the dispensary douches are begging for caregivers to be restricted or removed.

 

Compassion center owners are  publically being WATB about it now.

 

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 The key quote.  They LIED.

 

Heh.

 

Now I bet the dispensary douches are begging for caregivers to be restricted or removed.

 

Compassion center owners are  publically being WATB about it now.

 

 

Had to look that one up, lol. Funny.

 

Hmm, appearenly these compassion centers are not compassionate at all.

 

If the commercial entities in RI manage to kill the CG/PT program I am afraid that

will cause a domino effect across all medical cannabis States.

 

All for the love of :money:

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But, having only 11620 patients...??? How much did they figure that small of a group of people to actually spend?

 

They were probably going by LEO estimates of $4000 for an ounce. The drug addled stoners would of course sell everything they owned to buy their "reefers".

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Does anyone else think that this is going to happen in Michigan if MiLegalize passes? Greatly expanded medical with no tax and every adult can grow 12 adult plants. 

Nope. Definitely not going to happen. I say that because of the people that run this state do not want it that way. They get their way eventually. Our only hope has always been to vote them out. 

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Nope. Definitely not going to happen. I say that because of the people that run this state do not want it that way. They get their way eventually. Our only hope has always been to vote them out.

We have got to get the money out of our political system first... Meaning it can not cost so very much to run a campaign, such that the majority of their time isnt spent raising more money just to stay in office. Get the we rub ur back if u rub our back out of the equation. Otherwise, it is just one group of self serving special interest replacing another tied down group of self serving special interests. They will all behave in rather predictable and unethical manner otherwise... Republican, democrat, or otherwise. Anyone trying to function on morals and ethics cannot survive in the system we have in place.

 

Its our public airwaves... Mandate equal and limited advertising, tv and radio and print. No outside pacs. Govt funded (and capped) budgets. Just to name a few of the really easy and impactful tactics in changing how govt works.

 

Then maybe we will c a better acting govt.

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hey it worked in colorado (4plants)

 

and oregon (4 plants) and alaska (3 mature plants, 3 seedlings)

 

and even washington dc (6 mature plants, 6 seedlings).

 

soon to be ohio (4 plants iirc). the reddest flip-flop swing state you can find!

 

you're saying michigan is more conservative than alaska or oregon? or ohio?

 

 

i remember all of the people saying it would never be legal. then it would never be legal aside from colo/wash. then it would never be legal blah blah blah.

 

the legal train is coming. the illegal train has fallen off the tracks.

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hey it worked in colorado (4plants)

 

and oregon (4 plants) and alaska (3 mature plants, 3 seedlings)

 

and even washington dc (6 mature plants, 6 seedlings).

 

soon to be ohio (4 plants iirc). the reddest flip-flop swing state you can find!

 

you're saying michigan is more conservative than alaska or oregon? or ohio?

 

 

i remember all of the people saying it would never be legal. then it would never be legal aside from colo/wash. then it would never be legal blah blah blah.

 

the legal train is coming. the illegal train has fallen off the tracks.

I'm saying that the people in control of the legislature have said, over and over, they want to get rid of home grows.

 

So why should I think they want something different than that? 

 

They have made it very clear. 

 

You know that. So what makes you think they will not get their way?

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4 plants WOOHOO

 

Might as well have none.  4 plants is for dreamers that believe that everything they touch grows 13 foot tall in a month and produces pounds every time. 4 plants are for the people who don't understand marijuana growing. 4 plants is a crap sandwich.

 

Really? Before this law we would have gladly taken 4. I think I have a pretty good grasp on growing, and know that 4 plants for anyone that wants to grow their own is a lot. I know a lot of ppl would turn that into just a cpl ounces a month. (More than most ppl smoke) but there are other ppl out there who with the only real restriction being 4 plants would pop out a cpl pounds a month. Not all growers are equal, nobody is going to get rich and retire on it, but I am pretty sure that's the point. Anything is better than nothing for those with less than nothing for sure.

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Really? Before this law we would have gladly taken 4. I think I have a pretty good grasp on growing, and know that 4 plants for anyone that wants to grow their own is a lot. I know a lot of ppl would turn that into just a cpl ounces a month. (More than most ppl smoke) but there are other ppl out there who with the only real restriction being 4 plants would pop out a cpl pounds a month. Not all growers are equal, nobody is going to get rich and retire on it, but I am pretty sure that's the point. Anything is better than nothing for those with less than nothing for sure.

 4 plants would pop out a cpl pounds a month. 

 

I just don't know what to say after that ........ it's like a leo press release. Like plants are bud machines that require no maintenance and perpetually just keep sprouting out buds as long as you water them.  It's refer madness. It's for people who don't understand growing. If nothing else it proves me right. 

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This concept is so amazing I have to have the details.

 

For this to work you would have to start plants at intervals of about a month apart and expect two pounds off each one as it finishes.  When the first one gets done you have one month to start a new plant and veg it to put in the cycle that is supposed to produce two pounds 2 months later. 

 

Why would a real grower want to exaggerate like that? It's stupid.

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Lmao, you doubt that there are ppl who could get a cpl pounds a month out of 4 plants? As I said a lot would get a few ounces, but pop a cpl thousands over a single plant 30-40 gallon pots...... Things will get big fast. i am definitely not Leo or someone who hasn't been deep in this for the last 5 years legally and many before that. plant count has very very little to do with yield in reality. Multiple pound plants are a reality even indoors although few and far between. 2 month veg 2 month flower 2 a piece is a cpl a month. Doable just not for everybody.

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Lmao, you doubt that there are ppl who could get a cpl pounds a month out of 4 plants? As I said a lot would get a few ounces, but pop a cpl thousands over a single plant 30-40 gallon pots...... Things will get big fast. i am definitely not Leo or someone who hasn't been deep in this for the last 5 years legally and many before that. plant count has very very little to do with yield in reality. Multiple pound plants are a reality even indoors although few and far between. 2 month veg 2 month flower 2 a piece is a cpl a month. Doable just not for everybody.

Reality has to do with reality and you haven't provided any reality. ROTFL (since you are laughing I will too) Make some sense.

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