2018 Vote: Marijuana Tax On County Ballot

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — Measure R on Tuesday's ballot in Contra Costa County would impose a 4 percent tax on gross receipts plus $7 per square foot of garden canopy for marijuana businesses operating on unincorporated county land.

The county counsel estimates that Measure R would generate millions of dollars in revenue on an annual basis, ranging from $1.7 million to $4.4 million per year, to go toward the county's general fund.

Proponents say it would fund enforcement of local marijuana regulations and other public safety efforts if it's approved by a majority of voters.

It would not affect businesses operating within the boundaries of incorporated cities like Richmond, Concord or Walnut Creek where local policy would still be determined by their respective city governments.

Proponents of Measure R, including Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Chair Karen Mitchoff and Vice Chair John Gioia, have argued that illegal cannabis operations have negatively impacted public safety while also causing environmental damage to open spaces and watersheds.

Gioia and Mitchoff have also argued that Measure R will help reduce violent crime associated with the cannabis industry.

The Contra Costa Taxpayers Association filed an argument with the county opposing Measure R, stating that the costs and obligations associated with compliance under existing regulations on California's cannabis industry have tipped economic conditions in the favor of the black market and that further regulation just helps foreign drug cartels.

They also argued that Contra Costa County is using taxes like Measure R to create new revenue to offset rising pension liabilities associated with the county's workforce.

Furthermore, local legislation regulating the cannabis industry would put the county government at odds with federal law, according to the taxpayer association's argument, which was signed by Jack Weir, the organization's president.

In a rebuttal, the proponents called it inaccurate to suggest that Measure R was proposed to address pension debts, which they say are funded above the national average.

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— Bay City News; Image via Shutterstock