So to reply to the points:
1) this ignores the fact cannabis is still a Schedule 1 drug on the federal level. The costs of preventing diversion and dealing with the black market side of the industry are very high. There are also going to be increased costs dealing with the reality of our current federal government. The state is going to need to (and is working on plans) to implement banking access (one of the largest problems caused by federal law) and implement an "organic" program- again- a program controlled by the federal government. There is also a need to fund scientific/medical research with cannabis.
2)we are NOT talking about a 10% tax. This is a theoretical maximum. The real initial rates are far, far, far lower.
And if you can point me to another agriculture crop in the US that can produce over $4 million wholesale on an acre please do...
3) Not sure what your point is. Cannabis is no longer a criminal issue- it is a civil issue. For those that haven't been paying attention Prop 215 which we have been operating under for 20 years never made growing cannabis growing on a commercial scale legal- it simply provided a "positive defense" to an industry that operated without labor laws, environmental laws, taxes, etc....
4) again- wtf are you talking about. Cannabis is now a civil not a legal issue. (in theory, I'll admit...not all DA's see it this way...and to be fair...there IS criminal activity)
5) The county has been holding meetings for well over a year. Yes- at the end things were rushed in an attempt to be able to get permits issued on the local level in time for the industry to be able to get state licenses. If memory serves the regs were passed just before Christmas- giving a matter of weeks (with the holidays in the way) to get the booklet and ballots ready for a march 7 election. The industry had an inkling of what was coming- had plenty of time to prepare a response if they wanted to.
6) I find this particularly ironic as all the big players I know oppose measure A because it is a progressive tax- the big boys pay far more than the family farms. And yet again- we have moved to civil, not criminal issues. And welcome to the real world...lawyers, CPA's, accountants, human resources, etc etc are all a part of any business.
I'm sorry- you say "investigative journalist" but I have to ask... have you actually read the SoCo regs? MCRSA? Prop 64?. Have you looked into the regs and taxes in the emerald triangle? Santa Cruz? Monterey? Yolo? Nevada County?
Have you researched the regs and taxes in OR, WA, CO etc?
Because I have? I have thousands of pages of regs and taxes. Highlighted. Notated. Referenced and cross referenced. And, as a grower who has long been under the "cottage grow" ceiling... I support measure A. Yes, it could be better. It could also be much worse- which it likely will be if "the industry" gets to put up the $400K and pay for the 80K? signatures needed to get another special election (crafted for those paying for it) on the ballot in november.