Pubdate: Fri, 24 Oct 2014
Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA)
Copyright: 2014 Santa Cruz Sentinel
Contact: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/submitletters
Website: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/394

VOTE YES ON MEASURES K, L - COUNTY, CITY TAX ON MEDICAL POT

When even the organization representing local cannabis dispensary 
operators and marijuana growers supports a tax on pot sales, you'd 
think opposition to the city and county measures calling for the levy 
would be a pipe dream.

Well, it's still a tax, and medical marijuana patients have voiced 
their displeasure about the 7 percent levy on dispensary receipts. We 
wonder if the anti-tax contingent also will vote against the 
measures, regardless of how people feel about medical marijuana.

But it's not unfair to tax pot sales - mainly because the county and 
city need to find the money to enforce medical marijuana regulations. 
That's why we're recommending a yes vote on both Measure K in the 
unincorporated area of Santa Cruz County and Measure L in the city of 
Santa Cruz. The tax measures require a simple majority vote.

If adopted, the county and city would join a handful of other local 
governments taxing dispensary receipts. San Jose, for instance, has 
had a 7 percent tax in place since 2011.

Pot growers, much criticized for the environmental degradations often 
associated with their operations, will not be taxed. The county put 
its tax on the ballot after months, if not years, of wrangling with 
the operators over rules and regulations, much less the tax rate. The 
city joined in, even though Santa Cruz is home to significantly fewer 
dispensaries than the unincorporated areas of the county.

The county estimates the tax would generate $900,000 annually, but 
operators - some of whom have opened their financial books for county 
officials - say the same figure could be reached with no more than a 
3 percent tax.

Advocates for medical pot patients say they would have no problem 
taxing the sale of marijuana - if pot were legalized. But it's not, 
and they say the county and city are trying to make money off sick people.

If voters approve the tax measures, they'll be taking another step 
toward creating a relationship between government and an industry 
that still exists in a legal gray area. Nevertheless, government is 
usually looking for new sources of revenue, as evidenced in the 
states of Washington and Colorado, where legalized pot is starting to 
bring some serious tax money. If California voters were to legalize 
pot - previous measures to do so have failed - Attorney General 
Kamala Harris' office has estimated this would not only save $100 
million by reducing enforcement costs, but also generate several 
times that amount for state and local governments in taxes.

It's also telling that the local Association for Standardized 
Cannabis (ASC) has judiciously endorsed the city and county medical 
pot tax measures. In a statement sent to the Sentinel, the ASC said 
they don't see the tax "as a sustainable long-term funding mechanism 
for enforcement." But, say organizers, they've decided it's more 
important "to maintain our positive relationship with our local 
governments" in terms of increasing access to "safe and affordable 
medicine" and a "rational approach" to enforcing pot-related laws.

They also recognize that the tax would "legitimize" the medical pot 
industry locally.

Maybe so. But we have few qualms about asking the industry and its 
customers to contribute toward the considerable cost in enforcing 
laws and regulations on medical marijuana. Vote yes on measures K and 
L on Nov. 4.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom