Sherwood Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 QUOTE (chinamon @ May 4 2009, 05:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>a thought just came to mind...the only americans that have any clue about the metric system are shisha smokers.And scientists... and grocers ... and anyone with a passport...Don't be hatin'. At least we're committed to one system, unlike our colonial fathers who still use miles and miles/hr, and measure weight in "stone". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShishaDoctor Posted May 5, 2009 Author Share Posted May 5, 2009 QUOTE (Sherwood @ May 5 2009, 08:08 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>QUOTE (chinamon @ May 4 2009, 05:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>a thought just came to mind...the only americans that have any clue about the metric system are shisha smokers.And scientists... and grocers ... and anyone with a passport...Don't be hatin'. At least we're committed to one system, unlike our colonial fathers who still use miles and miles/hr, and measure weight in "stone".So if Americans are unlike their colonial fathers who used miles and miles/hr, what do they use? I'd bet against the average American using km and km/h. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erufiku Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 Depends... right now I got around 2kg sealed and 3 tubs opened./snickering at the imperial system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilikemyusername Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 i usually have about 4 kilos on hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookworm Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 QUOTE (Charley @ May 4 2009, 07:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>QUOTE (Bookworm @ May 4 2009, 07:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>why would you guys be worried about large orders?they have insane tobacco taxes if customs finds there orders en route they get taxed if memory serves me right its about $15 for 50g but I may be wrong on that one.Who the f--- passed that law? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShishaDoctor Posted May 5, 2009 Author Share Posted May 5, 2009 QUOTE (Bookworm @ May 5 2009, 02:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>QUOTE (Charley @ May 4 2009, 07:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>QUOTE (Bookworm @ May 4 2009, 07:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>why would you guys be worried about large orders?they have insane tobacco taxes if customs finds there orders en route they get taxed if memory serves me right its about $15 for 50g but I may be wrong on that one.Who the f--- passed that law?The reason why the tax is ridiculously high is due to the fact that shisha tobacco is classified as "Manufactured Tobacco" in Canada. For example, in Alberta, the tax is around $0.22/gram for manufactured tobacco. So, for a 50g pouch of pipe tobacco, you can expect to pay $11.00 in taxes alone. The problem is, shisha tobacco weighs much more by volume than pipe tobacco due to the honey/molasses. In fact, I took a typical 50g package of shisha tobacco before, washed it, and found that the raw tobacco leaf weight is around 12g (Total shisha weight was 43g) 12/43 = 27%. Basically, we are getting taxed on molasses (as if it was tobacco), which makes up 73% of the weight.Ie., If we could import a shisha here with the molasses separate from the tobacco, then mix it here ourselves, we would get around the super high taxes (then the taxes would be just really high). For a 250g tub of AF, only about 75g of it is actual tobacco. That means that 150-175g of the weight is molasses, and it is being taxed at $0.22/gram. That makes a difference of about $38.50 per tub. I've always wanted this law to be ammended to classify shisha tobacco at a different rate. They should take the molasses weight into account, and charge $0.05 - $0.07/g in taxes. As the law stands now, we are being taxed on sugar at $0.22/g.Another option is importing the tobacco into Canada separated from the molasses, then combining it here. The raw tobacco would be taxed at $0.22/g as it comes across the border, and the molasses would get through without a problem. If any of you know a shisha manufacturer that would be interested in some sort of arrangement like this, I would be glad to help get things set up on this side. I'm friends with a few of the Hookah bars/ Mid.E. shops here, and I'm sure they'd be stoked about this idea.Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TiLLooR Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 Ive got about 1.5kg at the moment as I just ordered some Tangiers. Im gonna talk to my parents about sending me some more AF soon cause i'm running low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vladimir Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 QUOTE (TheShishaDoctor @ May 5 2009, 09:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>QUOTE (Sherwood @ May 5 2009, 08:08 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>QUOTE (chinamon @ May 4 2009, 05:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>a thought just came to mind...the only americans that have any clue about the metric system are shisha smokers.And scientists... and grocers ... and anyone with a passport...Don't be hatin'. At least we're committed to one system, unlike our colonial fathers who still use miles and miles/hr, and measure weight in "stone".So if Americans are unlike their colonial fathers who used miles and miles/hr, what do they use? I'd bet against the average American using km and km/h.His point is English use metric system but then use miles-per-hour, which I did not myself realize. Whereas in America we use solely one system, we don't bounce around.They teach the metric system in most schools these days so that it would be easy to change to the metric system, but apparently the time is "never right," it's like a bandaid... pull it off. After a few months no one will even care. Hell we buy liters of soda and no one freaks out over that . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookworm Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 Shishadoc, does this mean that us in the states have nothing to fear from this law? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vladimir Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 QUOTE (Bookworm @ May 5 2009, 02:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Shishadoc, does this mean that us in the states have nothing to fear from this law?Yes that is a Canadian tax. We have plenty to fear from it though, they got away with passing it in Canada, we keep voting... well this is the hookah topic forum. Suffice to say we have plenty to fear from it and better always bring our minds with us to the polling station. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShishaDoctor Posted May 5, 2009 Author Share Posted May 5, 2009 QUOTE (Vladimir @ May 5 2009, 02:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>QUOTE (TheShishaDoctor @ May 5 2009, 09:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>QUOTE (Sherwood @ May 5 2009, 08:08 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>QUOTE (chinamon @ May 4 2009, 05:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>a thought just came to mind...the only americans that have any clue about the metric system are shisha smokers.And scientists... and grocers ... and anyone with a passport...Don't be hatin'. At least we're committed to one system, unlike our colonial fathers who still use miles and miles/hr, and measure weight in "stone".So if Americans are unlike their colonial fathers who used miles and miles/hr, what do they use? I'd bet against the average American using km and km/h.His point is English use metric system but then use miles-per-hour, which I did not myself realize. Whereas in America we use solely one system, we don't bounce around.They teach the metric system in most schools these days so that it would be easy to change to the metric system, but apparently the time is "never right," it's like a bandaid... pull it off. After a few months no one will even care. Hell we buy liters of soda and no one freaks out over that .Ah, makes sense now. Canada is pretty consistent, we use metric for everything (except: height - feet+inches, weight: pounds, construction uses feet+inches, and cooking (ounces))QUOTE (Bookworm @ May 5 2009, 02:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Shishadoc, does this mean that us in the states have nothing to fear from this law?This law only applies to tobacco being imported into Canada. Although you guys just did get a bit of a tax hike on tobacco, it's nowhere near as bad as ours. (I guess universal health care isn't free) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShishaDoctor Posted May 5, 2009 Author Share Posted May 5, 2009 QUOTE (Vladimir @ May 5 2009, 02:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>QUOTE (Bookworm @ May 5 2009, 02:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Shishadoc, does this mean that us in the states have nothing to fear from this law?Yes that is a Canadian tax. We have plenty to fear from it though, they got away with passing it in Canada, we keep voting... well this is the hookah topic forum. Suffice to say we have plenty to fear from it and better always bring our minds with us to the polling station.I'd have to say: the tax rate isn't so high due to passing of any law. It's due to the erroneous classification of shisha tobacco as manufactured tobacco. For ages, manufactured tobacco meant dry, only tobacco (pipe tobacco for example). (Even if we only taxed based on tobacco weight and not molasses, the rate is still high compared to USA, but a bit more reasonable)As shisha came around, the closest category it could fit into was manufactured. New legislation is required to create a new classification for shisha tobacco. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vladimir Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 QUOTE (TheShishaDoctor @ May 5 2009, 01:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I'd have to say: the tax rate isn't so high due to passing of any law. It's due to the erroneous classification of shisha tobacco as manufactured tobacco. For ages, manufactured tobacco meant dry, only tobacco (pipe tobacco for example). (Even if we only taxed based on tobacco weight and not molasses, the rate is still high compared to USA, but a bit more reasonable)As shisha came around, the closest category it could fit into was manufactured. New legislation is required to create a new classification for shisha tobacco.The tax on any tobacco shouldn't be that high. It isn't a problem of erroneous classification, it is a problem of taxes . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShishaDoctor Posted May 5, 2009 Author Share Posted May 5, 2009 QUOTE (Vladimir @ May 5 2009, 02:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>QUOTE (TheShishaDoctor @ May 5 2009, 01:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I'd have to say: the tax rate isn't so high due to passing of any law. It's due to the erroneous classification of shisha tobacco as manufactured tobacco. For ages, manufactured tobacco meant dry, only tobacco (pipe tobacco for example). (Even if we only taxed based on tobacco weight and not molasses, the rate is still high compared to USA, but a bit more reasonable)As shisha came around, the closest category it could fit into was manufactured. New legislation is required to create a new classification for shisha tobacco.The tax on any tobacco shouldn't be that high. It isn't a problem of erroneous classification, it is a problem of taxes .100% agreed. Our government see's data that smoking goes down by "x" for each dollar increase on a pack of smokes. They hike up taxes.My argument is a bit different though. I'm saying that given Canada's high tax rate on tobacco, we are being doubly-punished due to the molasses weight. Even if we were only taxed on the tobacco in a 250g tub of AF, the tax would still be $16.50. Then, you can imagine the total price of a tub of AF being about $30 - $35 CAD. This is much more reasonable than $70.And, if you find tobacco in Canada for cheap... it means it was illegally imported. The tax in Alberta on 250g is $55.00. Thus, the price should be minimum $70 (to barely break even). I'm pretty sure most vendors and bar owners here use illegal tobacco - but charge prices as if it were taxed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookworm Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 even if you were caught couldn't you pay the tax on just the tobacco weight and fight the government in court over the rest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShishaDoctor Posted May 5, 2009 Author Share Posted May 5, 2009 Bookworm: I've heard of people appealing the taxes before based on this reason with success. I think it would be really hit or miss though - it depends on the customs officer you get. Taking the government to court doesn't seem to practical as a single person IMO. Maybe as a movement to get the rules changed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hookah hippie Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 I don't have an exact count but I would guess about 12 Kilos and I constantly purchase more tobacco. I am picking up 3 Kilos tomorrow. I have an entire 4 drawer dresser that has only shisha in it as well as two plastic giant tubs with coals and tobacco in it. Plus all the stuff on my desk and all of the stuff on my floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clumsygrace Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Me and my boyfriend's stash usually consists of wayy too many flavors we don't smoke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canon Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 im ordering about 10 kilos now and smoke it till everything is gone then i make another order Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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