MARIJUANA STAMPS NOT CATCHING ON WITH SELLERS, OFFICIALS SAY

CHARLESTON -- Ten years after it was created, a little-known law requiring
marijuana dealers to pay taxes on pot sales has had little impact,
officials say.

State officials say it appears not a single dealer has purchased the
required stamps. Instead, the stamps have created a market and a demand
among collectors.

Of the 433 pot stamps sold by the state since 1994, the overwhelming
majority were bought as novelties, according to the South Carolina
Department of Revenue.

The stamps are required for every gram of illegal drugs sold by a dealer in
the state. They are similar to the stamps affixed to other vices taxed by
the state, such as liquor and cigarettes.

A $3.50 sticker is required for every gram of marijuana, which is the most
popular among collectors. The current marijuana stamp shows a pot leaf
imposed over an image of the state with a circle and red stripe superimposed.

When the law was created, no one seriously thought drug dealers would line
up to buy the stamps. The stamps were created by legislators seeking more
tools to prosecute drug traffickers as tax cheats. A drug dealer who
violates the stamp law is subject to a fine of 100 percent of the tax, plus
possible jail time.