On April 4, Glenwood voters will elect new city council members. They’ll also decide whether to tax their pot sales.
A “yes” vote on Issue 1 would tax the city’s recreational pot sales by 5 percent. This is in addition to the existing sales tax and the 10 percent the state already collects on recreational pot.
A “yes” vote also allows the city to increase the 5 percent up to as high as 15 percent without asking voters.
Issue 2 is also a pot tax, but on a different part of the supply chain. It’s a 5 percent excise tax. Commercial operators who grow marijuana in Glenwood would have to pay 5 percent of the product’s value that leaves their doors.
Dan Sullivan, owner of The Green Joint in Glenwood, said plenty of other towns have the excise tax. He is wary of over-taxing retail marijuana within the city limits, as more than half of his business is local, and he doesn’t drive away customers.
The city would use the the estimated $500,000 of additional revenue each year for public health and education needs. There has been some discussion of funding a detox center, which the city hasn’t had for several years.
