By Robert Chapski

The Tennessee Supreme Court recently struck down as unconstitutional a state drug tax law that formerly required persons to pay an excise tax ("crack tax") on illegal substances (e.g., cocaine, marijuana, moonshine, etc.)  The substances were still illegal, of course, but the tax law worked outside the criminal justice system, and the excise tax stamps could be purchased anonymously.  Bonnaroo was purportedly a big target in the past for tax collectors.

Unfortunately, the state has already collected $10.4 million over the last few years from people with untaxed drugs in their possession.  A class action lawsuit has now been filed to recoup the funds paid by the drug possessors.  The argument is that if the law was unconstitutional, the tax should have never been collected.  The Tennessean, the local Nashville newspaper, notes that more than $271,000 of the funds have gone to police operations in Nashville.  It is anyone's guess what will happen with the money at this point.

I don't know what to make of this story.  Along with "saggy pants" and "guns n' bars", this has been a weird year for Tennessee law.