Good idea but cigars may soon be a thing of the past, what with the huge tax increase that took effect April 1. The per-pound tax on bulk roll-your-own terbacky went from $0.07 to $27. Yes you read that correctly. From seven cents to twenty seven dollars per pound. If my math is right that's a 38,471% increase. (would one of you math whizzes please verify my calcs?) I think small cigars were hit also hit with a pretty stiff increase.
Yea, Canada is already doing brisk business selling to smugglers and black market types. Expect a boom in tobacco stores near the border. An 38,500 percent increase in taxes isn't an attempt to raise revenue, it's essentially a ban. I'd argue it's a direct attempt to turn more citizens into criminals.
It's hitting small time tobacco stores pretty hard. Most are closing. Any gas station can usually beat them on price, and they generally don't sell tons of packs in any event. They made their money on smoking accessories (pipes, lighters, ash trays, etc), roll your own supplies and machines and unusual brands of tobacco (more or less in that order). Direct cigar and cigarette sales are typically break even at best.
Now brick n' mortar tobacco stores will be dead, with the accessory market moving online or to Walmart.
Plus, a lot of manufacturers of roll your own supplies and machines were domestic. They'll downsize or go under. More manufacturing jobs down the toilet.
Some folks did massive bulk purchases of tobacco before the de facto ban. Built humidifiers and special enclosures to try to make it last longer.
Maybe I'm just depressed or something, but I see them doing the same to ammo as a means of actually killing the 2A. Don't ban it outright. It'd be illegal and too much opposition. Instead, toss a 38,500 percent tax on reloading supplies and a smaller tax on commercial rounds. Once reloading is dead, keep up'ing the tax on commercially manufactured ammo until no one can afford it.
"No one is banning guns! You can buy ANY gun you want. Sure, each round costs $10-20, but it's legal and the taxes go to fund a program with a fluffy name that no politician wants to defund."
THAT is how they will kill the 2A.
