A Cape Girardeau lawmaker wants to tax Missouri's drug dealers.
Republican state Sen. Wayne Wallingford said under his bill, dealers would face an additional charge of tax evasion if they are caught with illegal drugs that do not bear Missouri Department of Revenue stamps showing the excise tax has been paid.
The American Civil Liberties Union opposes the bill, contending it would penalize someone twice for the same crime.
John Payne, executive director of Show-Me Cannabis, a group seeking to legalize marijuana in Missouri, also questioned the legality of such a measure.
"In order to tax it, you have to bring it out of the illegal market," he said. "This is not constitutional."
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