Pubdate: Mon, 31 Aug 2015
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2015 The Denver Post Corp
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Author: John Fryar, Times-Call

LYONS VOTERS TO DECIDE NEW WHOLESALE MARIJUANA TAX

Lyons - The Lyons Town Board will ask voters to decide in November to 
authorize a new excise tax on the amounts that any locally licensed 
marijuana-cultivation or marijuana-infusion facilities charge when 
they sell their products to marijuana retailers.

That excise tax on wholesale marijuana transactions would start at 5 
percent in 2016 and could eventually range up to - but never exceed - 
10 percent.

Town officials said there are no locally licensed marijuana growing 
operations or marijuana-infusion product manufacturers inside Lyons 
now, but that the tax, if it passes in November, would be imposed on 
any future facilities.

Mayor John O'Brien said revenue from that tax could help offset the 
town's expenses of enforcing and administering the marijuana laws and 
regulations that apply to such growing operations and 
infused-products manufacturers.

Lyons finance director Tony Cavalier has estimated that a 5 percent 
excise tax on a single licensed operator's wholesale marijuana 
transactions could generate up to about $135,000 a year, or up to 
$270,000 under a 10 percent tax rate.

Lyons already charges a 3.5 percent tax - after the town's voters 
approved raising it from 3 percent last November - on locally 
licensed business retail sales of recreational marijuana and 
marijuana-infused products.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom