A California Senator and Democrat plans to sock it to pot patients with a new, 15% sales tax increase to raise potentially $100 million in state revenue.

Senator Mike McGuire introduced The Marijuana Value Tax Act today, to levy a 15 percent tax on retail sales of medical marijuana. If the tax passes by a two-thirds majority, the tax could raise $100 million for grants for local cities regulating medical marijuana, the general fund, parks and wildlife, and drug programs.

“Other states, including Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Alaska already have sales taxes in place for medical marijuana. SB 987 also ensures that cities and counties will continue to be able to enact their own local taxes and fees,” Sen. McGuire stated.

“We made a commitment last year as we were working through the huge undertaking of setting statewide regulations for medical marijuana that we would follow up on a statewide excise tax,” Senator McGuire stated. “This needed revenue will make our communities stronger by focusing on the impacts of cultivation and use of marijuana, including funding local law enforcement and neighborhood improvement programs, state parks, drug and alcohol treatment and environmental rehabilitation.”

California medical marijuana sales total over $1 billion statewide, officials estimate, and are expected to grow by double digit percentage points each year.

“Now that there is a long overdue regulatory framework put into place, it’s time to help fund the areas that are most affected by the cultivation – those communities that have long been paying the price of the negative effects of cultivation brought on by the ‘bad actors’ who destroy the environment and bring in crime,” Senator McGuire state.

The 15 percent excise tax on medical weed mirrors the tax rate for recreational marijuana proposed in the current, leading ballot initiative.

Patient advocates have long-opposed taxes on medical cannabis. California does not tax medicine like prescription painkillers, but does tax herbal supplements, including medical cannabis, state officials note.

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