Rep. John Fresolo of Worcester is sponsoring a bill to add a $5 tax on cigarette rolling papers throughout the Commonwealth. The bill’s official name is H.2570, An Act to impose a tax on cigarette rolling papers. It inserts the following language into the General Laws of Massachusetts, 2006 edition: “In addition to the foregoing tax there is hereby established an additional tax of $5 on the sale of tobacco rolling papers per package.”
It is not known at this time whether Rep. Fresolo wishes those who smoke tobacco to support our national tobacco industry by smoking pre-rolled cigarettes or whether he wishes to make stoners use more pipes and vaporizers. So far the bill is only a proposal, and going up in smoke would seem a very appropriate and quite possible outcome.