Email received by a friend who runs a retail business (or what’s left of it) from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue:
830 CMR 62C.16.2: Sales and Use Tax Returns and Payments
Status: Emergency Regulation Promulgated 3/19/2020
Tax Type: Sales (including Sales tax on meals) and Use Tax
Summary: This emergency regulation amendment adds a new section (7) which suspends return filing and payment remittance obligations for certain vendors during the COVID-19 State of Emergency declared by the Governor. Specifically, the sales and use tax filing and payment schedule for vendors, whose cumulative sales and use tax liability in the 12-month period ending February 29, 2020 is less than $150,000, shall be as follows. Returns and payments due during the period beginning March 20, 2020 and ending May 31, 2020, inclusive, shall be suspended. All such returns and payments shall be due on June 20, 2020. This suspension does not apply to marijuana retailers as defined in M.G.L. c. 94G, § 1, marketplace facilitators or vendors selling motor vehicles. Such vendors shall continue to file returns and make payments in accordance with the rules set forth in 830 CMR 62C.16.2(3)-(6).
It’s tougher to loot things when you’re stoned, I guess. But does it increase hoarding of doritos and ice cream?
In other news, maybe someone should send some marijuana to Colin and Hilda Allin, a South African couple who achieved notoriety this week by running a marathon around the balcony of their apartment in Dubai. They did 2,100 laps of their 20-meter long balcony last Saturday, completing 42.2 kilometers in what must have been the most boring 5 hours, nine minutes and 39 seconds of running ever.
Best comment:
“Why don’t you run to a mental hospital?”
https://news.yahoo.com/couple-run-dubai-balcony-marathon-beat-coronavirus-blues-095259686.html
At least when I was in college and a young adult, here’s how the drug business appeared to work (mainly learned from watching housemates of friends, I was not a participant):
Presumably, some call was made at some point. At some point later, a somewhat sketchy dude shows up with a backpack (or a briefcase, I’m told, if you were fancy) and is invited inside, some awkward socializing happens (remember, trust is big a part of any illegal business), and then at some point some purchases are made. The drug dealer then usually hangs around while some amount of the substance is consumed. He then presumably goes on to do this dozens of more times a week.
However you might feel about drugs, epidemiologically, this strikes me as a bad practice. If we were smart, we’d decriminalize everything and allow it all to be mailed in small quantities. No more face to face. Dread Pirate Roberts saving lives!
I read a report on Reddit from an alleged London drug dealer claiming his regular customers were panic-buying marijuana and cocaine, because with travel gone, so are the drug mules and prices are shooting through the roof (pun intended).