Make marijuana help pay its way if Oregonians make it legal But cities need to act before Nov. 4 election The H&N View Oregon cities face an interesting decision as the Nov. 4 statewide vote approaches on the legalization of recreational marijuana, and it’s not whether they are for or against it. It’s whether they should tax marijuana on a city basis. The tax could be considered a revenue producer or, perhaps, a way to discourage the sale of pot in the cities. Or both. If recreational marijuana is approved Nov. 4, only those cities whose marijuana taxes are already in place will be allowed to tax pot sales. The proposed state law limits taxation to a one-time tax of $35 per ounce for flowers, $10 per ounce for leaves and $5 per immature marijuana plant. The money, estimated to be about $38.5 million a year, would go to the state. No other tax at any other level would be allowed, unless approved before the statewide vote. Cities elsewhere, notably in the Rogue Valley, have been struggling with the issue. Ashland has already approved a tax of up to 10 percent on recreational marijuana, and it’s being considered elsewhere. Approving a tax should not be considered an endorsement of the ballot measure. Far from it. The tax would help deal with its potential impact. In Klamath Falls, City Manager Nathan Cherpeski said the city staff is looking into the issue, but hasn’t formalized anything yet. Marijuana sales would come under the control of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission and include a wealth of regulations. The law would cost money to enforce, and some of that would have to come from local pockets. It would be ludicrous for a state as tough on smoking as Oregon not to subject marijuana use to some of the same restrictions, including high taxes. Smoking is the most common way of ingesting marijuana. Our guess is that Klamath County and most of the rest of Eastern Oregon are likely to turn the Nov. 4 initiative down, but the issue will be decided in Western Oregon, where most of the votes are. Border towns like Klamath Falls and its neighbors have a special problem. They might look like good locations to set up illegal export businesses to transport Oregon-grown pot to California. And, of course, when it comes to marijuana, there also are such potential problems as anxiety, increased risk of cancer, unsafe driving, issues with short-term memory, altered perceptions, difficulty with thinking and according to some studies, a loss of IQ. Enacting a city tax ahead of the Nov. 4 ballot would put a little more money in city budgets to help deal with the problems. Southern Oregon towns and cities should go for the jugular. – The H&N View represents the opinion of the Herald and News Editorial Board. Its members are Publisher Heidi Wright, Editor Gerry OBrien and Forum Editor Pat Bushey, who wrote this editorial. Community advisers to the editorial board are Tracey Liskey, Jeff Ball, Chip Massey and Ernie Palmer.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 15:15:43 +0000
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