Maryland Bans Internet Sales of Pipe Tobacco and all OTP

[gecko13]

I guess I need to increase my stock piling process. Only have about a one year supply on hand, I will need to up it to a 10-15+ year cellar supply. Slowly taking one liberty at time away. For the most part, the motivation for most things is money...I just can't see where the money trail leads in this. Our country's freedoms are being taken away at an ever increasing rate. Once our freedoms are lost, it's essentially impossible to even get them back...kinda like a "temporary" tax never gets reversed. I won't talk politics on here, but let's just say I like TEA. Now I need a strong bowl and a glass of Jack on ice.

 

[papipeguy]

Retailers will just have to use boxes without their business name on them. Who's to know? This will be much ado about nothing. Again, the state will not and cannot monitor private mail. Fed trumps state every time.

 

[collindow]

Well, technically you can't refuse to hire someone just because they smoke, either, papipe. I don't think politicians care, at all, about our rights, as long as they can get themselves reelected.

 

[flipflopsandshades]

Papipeguy, do you really think online retailers will do that? I am very skeptical. It would just be easier for them to not ship at all to Maryland or Washington. Time to get active in politics. Maryland is a horrific Communist state.

 

[jjtroutbum]

 

[ichbinmuede]

I am increasingly disgusted with the lengths the governments of the world are going to legislate our private lives.

It's only a matter of time before people get fed up and rise against such outrageous rape of freedom.

What we smokers (and really all people) need is to start a movement to take back our rights.

 

[collin]

Coming soon to a neighborhood near you.
We were all laughing about not paying our "use taxes" not more than a few threads ago,....what do you expect? They want,...and they are going to get; your money.

One way or the other.

 

[admin]

Just imagine how Bob feels. He works for PipesMagazine.com, and lives in Maryland.
So this not only totally screws up his beloved hobby, it is also making it harder for him to earn a living.

 

[papipeguy]

Papipeguy, do you really think online retailers will do that? I am very skeptical. It would just be easier for them to not ship at all to Maryland or Washington. Time to get active in politics. Maryland is a horrific Communist state.
Why wouldn't a retailer ship in "plain brown wrapper"? I know one that ships to Washington state often with no consecquence. They didn't even know about the law in Washington.
And I agree, Colin, about the politicos not caring but they're just a guilty of not being able to think a law through. Thay passed it to placate the anti-smoking groups and put no teeth into it.

For anyone in Md.- ask your B&M if they are accepting shipments of tobacco from out of state suppliers and what are they doing about the new law. I'll wager that most will just shrug and go on with their business.

 

[collin]

Uhhh,.....forgive me if I'm not understanding these new laws….. correct my if I'm wrong, but it appears, to me anyhow, that this is a "revenue" issue,..not a non-smoking or anti-smoking, or even a pro-"communism" issue.

If I’m reading the links correctly,…..all the state wants is revenue.

Revenue from two sources; licensing fees and tobacco tax. Collecting fees for licenses presents no problem,…..but collection of the taxes, be they use-taxes or sales taxes, presents a big problem.

The solution, (the lawmakers believe), will be to force everyone buy tobacco from licensed state dealers. That's it. Isn't it?
Or am I misunderstanding this?

 

[papipeguy]

OK, I've been mouthing off here so I decided to be an adult and actually read the legislation. Big surprise, its about money, ie. tax collections. But its the same in every state. Here in Pa I can be arrested for buying booze in NJ and bringing it back to my home UNLESS I pay the Pa sales taxes.

I've never heard of anyone actually being arrested but there are a lot of urban legends about it.

I've often wondered about when I buy gas in NJ and drive home shouldn't the same law apply? The state sales tax on gas in NJ is half of that in Pennsylvania.

I believe that what we'll see in this country is the collection of sales taxes on internet sales. The etailers will have to register in those states that have sales tax and then you'll see prices go up and many etailers exit the business.

In the end nobody wins and we all lose.

 

[puffintuff]

It just keeps getting worse. Our forefathers who started this country are

rolling over in their graves.

 

[admin]

I just updated with a new link to a 2 pg PDF that may be easier to comprehend. Look for the red Update note just above the footnotes at the end of the article.
http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/pipe-news/maryland-bans-internet-sales-of-pipe-tobacco-and-all-otp/

 

[duncan]

I just wrote an E-mail to the Maryland State ACLU asking them about the attacks on Smokers Rights. I will let you guys know how that works out.

 

[admin]

Sounds great Duncan. Thanks!

 

[excav8tor]

I, as a European, find it strangely amusing that the US chooses to ban something that causes less death than firearms?
Don't you just love irony!!!

 

[jjtroutbum]

I, as a European, find it strangely amusing that the US chooses to ban something that causes less death than firearms?
Don't you just love irony!!!

Like comparing apples and dump trucks. Nothing to do with one another. Unless you have read a smokers clause in the United States Constitution. One can be taken away by law or vote. The other is a means to contest an unfair vote.
"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin, 1759

 

[igloo]

As a American I wonder why we keep saving Europe when we could not wait to get the hell out of there . :laughat:

 

[collin]

Firearms do not cause death any more than this keyboard causes argumentative posts.

 

[unclearthur]

BINGO!!! Tommy!