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Pot proprietors seeking to open a medical marijuana shop will have to pony up at least $83,000 in fees, according to new rules proposed by state health officials.
The Department of Public Health expects to collect more than $3.9 million from pot shops and patients in the first year and is looking to create a Medical Marijuana Trust Fund to keep the revenue, acting Commissioner Cheryl Bartlett said in a letter this week to Secretary of State William Galvin.
Bartlett called the fees "affordable" and comparable to other states.
"At the same time, dispensaries will be required to pay their fair share," she said.
The first dispensaries in the state could open by the end of the year, according to DPH officials, who plan to review licensing applications through the summer.
The medical marijuana program – approved by voters in a November ballot measure – must be self-sustaining and can't rely on taxpayer dollars.
DPH has proposed potential pot purveyors pay a $1,500 fee for the initial application and $30,000 for a more comprehensive application if they make it past the first round of scrutiny. Dispensaries that receive the green light to open would be charged $50,000 annually and have to pay for architectural review of the shop before it opens — a minimum fee of $1,500.
Any employees hired by licensed shops would cost the owner an additional $500 annual registration fee, according to the proposal.
Meanwhile, medical marijuana patients would be charged $50 annually for an identification card, with those who grow their own pot at home paying $150 each year. The agency has not said when it will begin issuing registration cards to patients.
DPH is soliciting comments on the proposed fees until June 15, according to spokesman David Kibbe.
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: bostonherald.com
Author: Erin Smith
Contact: Contact Us | Boston Herald
Website: State proposes to make big $ off pot shops | Boston Herald
The Department of Public Health expects to collect more than $3.9 million from pot shops and patients in the first year and is looking to create a Medical Marijuana Trust Fund to keep the revenue, acting Commissioner Cheryl Bartlett said in a letter this week to Secretary of State William Galvin.
Bartlett called the fees "affordable" and comparable to other states.
"At the same time, dispensaries will be required to pay their fair share," she said.
The first dispensaries in the state could open by the end of the year, according to DPH officials, who plan to review licensing applications through the summer.
The medical marijuana program – approved by voters in a November ballot measure – must be self-sustaining and can't rely on taxpayer dollars.
DPH has proposed potential pot purveyors pay a $1,500 fee for the initial application and $30,000 for a more comprehensive application if they make it past the first round of scrutiny. Dispensaries that receive the green light to open would be charged $50,000 annually and have to pay for architectural review of the shop before it opens — a minimum fee of $1,500.
Any employees hired by licensed shops would cost the owner an additional $500 annual registration fee, according to the proposal.
Meanwhile, medical marijuana patients would be charged $50 annually for an identification card, with those who grow their own pot at home paying $150 each year. The agency has not said when it will begin issuing registration cards to patients.
DPH is soliciting comments on the proposed fees until June 15, according to spokesman David Kibbe.
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: bostonherald.com
Author: Erin Smith
Contact: Contact Us | Boston Herald
Website: State proposes to make big $ off pot shops | Boston Herald
