Six Nations fighting contraband tobacco legislation

#juan

Hall of Fame Member
Aug 30, 2005
18,326
119
63
I detest any rule or set of rules that allow or disallow something because of someone's race. How do natives get cigarettes
with no tax stamp on them? This suggests that the government is involved in this swindle as well as the tobacco companies.
I've read that we are talking about millions of dollars in lost tax money.
 

CDNBear

Custom Troll
Sep 24, 2006
43,839
207
63
Ontario
I detest any rule or set of rules that allow or disallow something because of someone's race.
As you should.

Luckily that's not how it works.

How do natives get cigarettes with no tax stamp on them?
They make them on the rez, or the manufacturers package them. Usually with a band that identifies their tax exemption.

But contraband smokes are pretty much all rez originating.

This suggests that the government is involved in this swindle as well as the tobacco companies.
Nope, just the way things are.

I've read that we are talking about millions of dollars in lost tax money.
You should probably get over it already.
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
113,736
12,951
113
Low Earth Orbit
How much is a taxed pack of smokes in ON and how much are the du Maurier knock-off "Mohawk" brand from on Rez smoke shops?
 

CDNBear

Custom Troll
Sep 24, 2006
43,839
207
63
Ontario
How much is a taxed pack of smokes in ON and how much are the du Maurier knock-off "Mohawk" brand from on Rez smoke shops?
Almost $70 for brand names off rez, on, $30.

Contrabands, which are made with sweep, are anywhere between $10 and $20. And are only sold at pop up locals. Not the major outlets.
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
113,736
12,951
113
Low Earth Orbit
Still cheap(er) The old lady pays $96 for a carton. We went to Winnipeg a couple times this year and she keeps forgetting they are $17+ per pack of 25. A carton there has to be at least $120. I can't see ON keeping that tax loss going much longer.
 

#juan

Hall of Fame Member
Aug 30, 2005
18,326
119
63
How much is a taxed pack of smokes in ON and how much are the du Maurier knock-off "Mohawk" brand from on Rez smoke shops?

For the rest of Canada most of the cost of a pack of cigarettes is tax........at least eighty five percent. Not the type of business
the government should be involved with
 

Twila

Nanah Potato
Mar 26, 2003
14,698
73
48
So glad I quit smoking. You have to be rich to smoke now from the sounds of it.
 

gerryh

Time Out
Nov 21, 2004
25,756
295
83
They want to sell their tobacco in Canada? Then it needs to be regulated and taxed the same as any other tobacco in Canada. They want to sell it on reserve only, then Canada has no say in that. However, Canada does reserve the right to check any and all vehicles leaving reserve land for untaxed merchandise the same as they do on any other border. Taxes can be paid at that time or if someone is trying to smuggle, then the consequences of that are already on the books.
 

#juan

Hall of Fame Member
Aug 30, 2005
18,326
119
63
Govt shouldn't be involved in tax?

No. They shouldn't be involved in this kind if scam to distribute cigarettes. I personally would prefer we got rid of tobacco altogether but that is not going to happen any time soon when there is so much money in it.
 

JamesBondo

House Member
Mar 3, 2012
4,158
37
48
Since monshine is traditional in our family by using their logicI should be able to sell shine to whoever I want. Oh right I already do.


can I be your friend?

I smoked for over 25 years before I finally ditched them.


Congrats! I quit in 98, after smoking for 16 years. It is truly a good feeling to break free of it, isn't it?

Nothing new. The alcohol industry was instrumental in getting marijuana illegalised in the 30s. With help from the materials industry, who wanted to replace cheap, plentiful, useful hemp with manufactured materials.
what was the potency like in the 1930s, pretty weak?

They want to sell their tobacco in Canada? Then it needs to be regulated and taxed the same as any other tobacco in Canada. They want to sell it on reserve only, then Canada has no say in that. However, Canada does reserve the right to check any and all vehicles leaving reserve land for untaxed merchandise the same as they do on any other border. Taxes can be paid at that time or if someone is trying to smuggle, then the consequences of that are already on the books.


Hmm. Can I buy tax free gasoline on a reserve?
 

Retired_Can_Soldier

The End of the Dog is Coming!
Mar 19, 2006
12,194
1,217
113
60
Alberta
Congrats! I quit in 98, after smoking for 16 years. It is truly a good feeling to break free of it, isn't it?

Thanks. My chest doesn't hurt anymore and that's nice. I still crave from time to time, but will never smoke cigarettes again. Giving them up was hard enough that I don't want to ever have to do that again.
 

Praxius

Mass'Debater
Dec 18, 2007
10,627
113
63
Halifax, NS & Melbourne, VIC
Almost $70 for brand names off rez, on, $30.

Contrabands, which are made with sweep, are anywhere between $10 and $20. And are only sold at pop up locals. Not the major outlets.




In Nova Scotia, a zip bag of 200 cigarettes was $27... probably cheaper if I (hypothetically) didn't go through 3rd party people to get them.

At the time when I smoked in Canada, a pack of 25 was about $11.50 or so.

I'm not sure if I could have gone for my status stuff or not, as my Great Grandmother on my mother's side was Mi'kmaq, but I never bothered looking into it or bothering because I never practiced anything..... and it didn't seem right to get it just to abuse the system to get things without actually being a part of a community or following any traditions.

Besides, nobody would believe me that I have native blood in me.... I'm whiter than the guy shown in my avatar.

As it goes for how bad reserve cigarettes are compared to commercial cigarettes, I couldn't give a crap.

I constantly hear the argument "Dude, you never know what's in those things."

My reply usually is, "Do you even know what's in the ones you buy in the store?"

Chances are you know just as much about the ones in the fancy packaging as you would with these.
 
Last edited:

JamesBondo

House Member
Mar 3, 2012
4,158
37
48
Do you pay extra taxes on the gas you buy in the U.S?

I would have to guess that alberta gas sells cheaper in the states than it does in Canada but I don't really know.

Thanks. My chest doesn't hurt anymore and that's nice. I still crave from time to time, but will never smoke cigarettes again. Giving them up was hard enough that I don't want to ever have to do that again.

I haven't been good at managing my health, if i was still a heavy smoker, i might be dead from a heart attack by now. Not that I'm saying it causes heart attack but health problem tend to stack ontop of each other and make things worse.
 

Tecumsehsbones

Hall of Fame Member
Mar 18, 2013
58,307
8,449
113
Washington DC
what was the potency like in the 1930s, pretty weak?
Yep. It was mostly harvested wild, usually from the waste ground around railroad tracks, because marijuana seeds were used in birdseed, so it would fall off the trains and grow. They called it "Indian tobacco." (You're welcome.)

I didn't believe the whole "potency" thing until I blazed up in the Netherlands a couple of years ago after 30 years away from the stuff. They were not kidding.