California Medical Marijuana Sales Tax Proposed 15 Percent
A recently-introduced bill would impose a 15 percent tax on the sales of medical marijuana, which would in turn be funneled into state enforcement initiatives, rehabilitation programs and park services.
The proposed Marijuana Value Tax Act could result in the state raking in some $100 million in new revenue. The measure was introduced after the passage of historic regulations last year that mandated the state issue local licensing for marijuana operations under the umbrella of the newly-formed Bureau of Medical Marijuana regulations.
Officials have said this kind of regulatory framework is “long overdue” in California. We were the first state in the country to pass reforms that allowed critically ill patients to receive marijuana. Since then, dozens have followed our lead, and a handful have taken it a step farther, approving measures that grant legal access to the drug for recreational purposes. But the problem for California was that our lawmakers had no model to spin off. There was no precedent to show us what would work and what wouldn’t. We were a test for many other states, and several who followed us have done it better in terms of state regulation. Our laws are a patchwork of local rules, which has exposed patients, doctors, growers and dispensaries to a host of legal woes from state, local and federal authorities.
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