Truth Seeker
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Palm Springs should go back to the drawing board on Measure B.
The proposed tax on medical marijuana on the Nov. 5 ballot is vague and lacks a plan on how the money will be spent. The reason for this is obvious. If the city specifies how the money will be spent, the measure would require two-thirds voter approval instead of a simple majority.
Measure B would impose a tax on the city's collectives of "up to" $15 for every $100 of medical marijuana they sell. The Desert Sun believes voters would be more comfortable if the measure specified how much the tax would be.
Creating a revenue stream to pay for the cost of policing dispensaries – especially illegal ones – is a good idea. The city attorney told The Desert Sun editorial board he doesn't have specific numbers, but estimated the cost of administering the dispensaries and controlling illegal operations at $500,000 over the past several years.
The tax also could help fund the city's trailblazing program to monitor the quality of medical marijuana. Mayor Steve Pougnet said it is estimated that 15 percent of the marijuana sold contains some sort of contaminant, such as fungus or pesticide. The more that medical marijuana can be treated like medicine, the better.
We believe the council intends to spend the money in those areas, but there is no guarantee. The revenue will go into the general fund.
The language of Measure B is intentionally nebulous. It says the funds would "help fund general municipal services, including but not limited to such matters as police protection and crime suppression services, fire protection and suppression services, emergency medical services, park, recreation and library facilities and services, and general improvements throughout the city."
Jim Camper of Organic Solutions of the Desert figures his gross sales could reach $2 million this year. If all three dispensaries reach that level, a 15 percent tax could generate $900,000 a year. A fourth dispensary the city is considering would increase that amount. We trust the current City Council – at some point The Desert Sun has endorsed all five of them – but who knows what a future council might do with that much income?
Pougnet contends that the dispensaries will absorb the tax, but there's no guarantee of that either. There is no price-control mechanism. We're uncomfortable with a potential added burden on people with pain who are seeking relief under the Compassionate Care Act.
In other cities, medical marijuana taxes have been approved by margins of 63 percent to 83 percent. We believe there is a good chance that two-thirds of Palm Springs voters would approve such a tax.
The city should come back with a measure that specifies how much the tax will be and how the money will be spent. Give us your best estimate of how much it will cost to administer dispensaries, control illegal ones and maintain the quality, then set the tax appropriately.
Meanwhile, we urge a no vote on Measure B.
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: mydesert.com
Author: The Desert Sun Editorial
Contact: Feedback | The Desert Sun | mydesert.com
Website: The Desert Sun | Palm Springs and Coachella Valley news
The proposed tax on medical marijuana on the Nov. 5 ballot is vague and lacks a plan on how the money will be spent. The reason for this is obvious. If the city specifies how the money will be spent, the measure would require two-thirds voter approval instead of a simple majority.
Measure B would impose a tax on the city's collectives of "up to" $15 for every $100 of medical marijuana they sell. The Desert Sun believes voters would be more comfortable if the measure specified how much the tax would be.
Creating a revenue stream to pay for the cost of policing dispensaries – especially illegal ones – is a good idea. The city attorney told The Desert Sun editorial board he doesn't have specific numbers, but estimated the cost of administering the dispensaries and controlling illegal operations at $500,000 over the past several years.
The tax also could help fund the city's trailblazing program to monitor the quality of medical marijuana. Mayor Steve Pougnet said it is estimated that 15 percent of the marijuana sold contains some sort of contaminant, such as fungus or pesticide. The more that medical marijuana can be treated like medicine, the better.
We believe the council intends to spend the money in those areas, but there is no guarantee. The revenue will go into the general fund.
The language of Measure B is intentionally nebulous. It says the funds would "help fund general municipal services, including but not limited to such matters as police protection and crime suppression services, fire protection and suppression services, emergency medical services, park, recreation and library facilities and services, and general improvements throughout the city."
Jim Camper of Organic Solutions of the Desert figures his gross sales could reach $2 million this year. If all three dispensaries reach that level, a 15 percent tax could generate $900,000 a year. A fourth dispensary the city is considering would increase that amount. We trust the current City Council – at some point The Desert Sun has endorsed all five of them – but who knows what a future council might do with that much income?
Pougnet contends that the dispensaries will absorb the tax, but there's no guarantee of that either. There is no price-control mechanism. We're uncomfortable with a potential added burden on people with pain who are seeking relief under the Compassionate Care Act.
In other cities, medical marijuana taxes have been approved by margins of 63 percent to 83 percent. We believe there is a good chance that two-thirds of Palm Springs voters would approve such a tax.
The city should come back with a measure that specifies how much the tax will be and how the money will be spent. Give us your best estimate of how much it will cost to administer dispensaries, control illegal ones and maintain the quality, then set the tax appropriately.
Meanwhile, we urge a no vote on Measure B.
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: mydesert.com
Author: The Desert Sun Editorial
Contact: Feedback | The Desert Sun | mydesert.com
Website: The Desert Sun | Palm Springs and Coachella Valley news
