Legalising cannabis would raise millions in tax for Britain, says government study - Polidicks

[quote]Legalising cannabis could save £200m in court and police costs and raise hundreds of millions of pounds in tax each year, a leaked government study has revealed. The Treasury study – which was passed to the BBC’s Newsnight programme – was commissioned by the Liberal Democrats in coalition earlier this year, but was never published. The study – which was set up to examine the “potential fiscal impacts of introducing a regulated cannabis market in the UK” – states that 216 tonnes of cannabis was smoked in the UK in the past year and that 2.2 million people aged 16 to 59 are thought to have used the drug in that time.[/quote] [url=http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/oct/13/legalising-cannabis-would-raise-millions-in-tax-says-government-study]Source[/url] I also think that this is a great piece of news from the article: [quote]On Monday, the Lib Dems announced they would be setting up an expert panel to establish how a legal market for cannabis could work in Britain. The move is backed by the party’s health spokesman, Norman Lamb, and by a former deputy assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan police, Brian Paddick.[/quote] Looks like they will be pushing the debate further seeing as they got a yes majority, so if Paul Flynn and labour can band together with the Lib Dems they can probably bring a good fight to Cameron

But does it account for weed making everyone DUMB and LAZY and SOCIALIST?

you know what else could rake in millions for the UK, big companies actually paying their actual goddamn taxes

[QUOTE=Turnips5;48895336]you know what else could rake in millions for the UK, big companies actually paying their actual goddamn taxes[/QUOTE] In a sane world, we could have both. In a sane world. Every day, a LibDem/Labour coalition seems ever more attractive. I just wish there were some way (legal, mind you) to force a new election and usher in such a coalition?

[QUOTE=ironman17;48895355]In a sane world, we could have both. In a sane world. Every day, a LibDem/Labour coalition seems ever more attractive. I just wish there were some way (legal, mind you) to force a new election and usher in such a coalition?[/QUOTE] I think there's way to impeach the current party, Blair nearly got kicked out a few years ago iirc. Though I think I'm completely wrong.

The current government would have to something incredibly wrong (read: illegal) for that to happen. Remember that this is the government that was elected in democratically and you can't just call for a re-election just because you disagree with them.

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;48895325]But does it account for weed making everyone DUMB and LAZY and SOCIALIST?[/QUOTE] Those are like the 3 best traits a human being can have, that would be so great.

[QUOTE=Turnips5;48895336]you know what else could rake in millions for the UK, big companies actually paying their actual goddamn taxes[/QUOTE] Fat chance of that or "They'd move their business somewhere else." which seems to get thrown around? So you can only be a hub of business of you let them just take you for a ride and pay you nothing? or very little?

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;48895325]But does it account for weed making everyone DUMB and LAZY and SOCIALIST?[/QUOTE] Well if Corbyn get's in won't have to worry about that too much.

[QUOTE=Turnips5;48895336]you know what else could rake in millions for the UK, big companies actually paying their actual goddamn taxes[/QUOTE] Every big company actually pays their taxes. Yes they might plan extensively around working through the complex tax system to minimise their liability, otherwise known as tax avoidance, but they don't not pay their taxes, tax evasion. [editline]14th October 2015[/editline] In the other thread: [QUOTE=Antdawg;48889014]Collect what forcibly? Facebook in the UK has literally done nothing wrong, they are well within the law. Here's the thing; businesses earn different kinds of profits. It's possible for a business to have an accounting profit and a negative taxable profit, or in other words a taxable loss (which isn't taxed). This mainly stems from provisions provided through incredibly-complex tax codes (such as tax credits and deductions, and tax-advantaged depreciation schedules in particular), and, throughout most of the world, accounting profits being derived from accrual accounting methods (recognise income and expenses when they are earned or accrued, respectively) while taxable profits are derived from cash-based accounting methods (recognise income and expenses when they are actually realised or paid, respectively). Besides, those bonuses paid out, as well as any dividends released, will be taxed at the higher marginal income tax rates for individuals anyways. [editline]13th October 2015[/editline] Ideally, businesses should not be taxed when looking at the issue from a tax base mobility perspective. Businesses are incredibly mobile and in fact the most mobile of tax bases (it is easiest for them to move away into a different tax jurisdiction). From most-mobile to least-mobile tax bases it goes: business income, capital, personal income, consumption (value-added taxes etc), then land. As we develop through the 21st century, each of those tax bases are going to become more-mobile, so for an equitable tax system we need to move to broader and less-mobile tax bases.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Antdawg;48896030]Every big company actually pays their taxes. Yes they might plan extensively around working through the complex tax system to minimise their liability, otherwise known as tax avoidance, but they don't not pay their taxes, tax evasion. [editline]14th October 2015[/editline] In the other thread:[/QUOTE] Just because it's bending loopholes in the law to avoid tax doesn't mean it's okay, it just means the law is bad. Yeah a corporation is a profit driven mechanism and they're not the ones necessarily accountable, but the system around corporate tax absolutely is and the system should change. Also we should get off our asses and just stop giving money to tax avoiders rather than moaning and not doing anything about it... not that that's very easy, mind you, when you're struggling for money.

If Canada legalizes it after the federal election the UK might soon after.

[QUOTE=Antdawg;48896030]Every big company actually pays their taxes. Yes they might plan extensively around working through the complex tax system to minimise their liability, otherwise known as tax avoidance, but they don't not pay their taxes, tax evasion. [editline]14th October 2015[/editline] In the other thread:[/QUOTE] There's a quite strong difference between obeying the law and obeying their moral obligations they have towards the society. Sure, the "right answer" from callously realistic point of view is "well, fix the loopholes then" but you don't need legal backing to be able to judge that some entity is behaving unfairly. The law is not going to change with very pro-corporate government who believes that these people should be allowed to not pay much in their taxes or they might take their business elsewhere so what can one complain about when "democratically" elected government refuses to patch up "legal" loopholes and a company refuses to not exploit them?

[QUOTE=ultra_bright;48896441]If Canada legalizes it after the federal election the UK might soon after.[/QUOTE] Here's hoping. I still can't believe the conservative's solution to any crime is "STIFFER PUNISHMENTS AND STRICT LAWS WILL MAKE THE PROBLEMS GO AWAY AND PROTECT THE CHILDREN"

[QUOTE=spazthemax;48902511]Here's hoping. I still can't believe the conservative's solution to any crime is "STIFFER PUNISHMENTS AND STRICT LAWS WILL MAKE THE PROBLEMS GO AWAY AND PROTECT THE CHILDREN"[/QUOTE] I can't believe that our entire society's attitude to people being in a tough situation is to make their situation tougher, spanning out from government and just looking at the UK and maybe humanity as whole. Still, the UK haven't really been doing that, crime isn't really a big government focus here, our governement never shuts up about the budget deficit, inflation and the 'Northen Powerhouse'. Our government have been weird as fuck lately, they certainly haven't been trying to cut the budget deficit but instead investing too little, too late and in the wrong places under the guise of being for the people.

We won't see anything like this from the Tories, their desire to appeal to middle England majorly eclipses their desire to initiate any reform that might actually do something