Oakland legalizes Marijuana Farms

Will this be the future? A project made by Gropech

Oakland’s City Council late Tuesday adopted regulations permitting industrial-scale marijuana farms, a plan that some small farmers argued would squeeze them out of the industry they helped to build.

To address concerns from smaller farmers, the council pledged to create regulations on regulating small- and medium-size marijuana farms this year. Council members and proponents of marijuana cultivation regulation viewed the proposal as smart public policy: It would generate revenue, ensure that fire and building codes are enforced, keep neighborhoods safe from robberies, and further position Oakland as the center of the state’s cannabis economy.

“It’s really important for Oakland to be a vital part of that growth and development for licensed facilities,” said Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan.

Cannabis tax in California would generate 1.2 Bil.$ a year!

California — Here’s a sure sign that  marijuana dispensaries are on their way to becoming big business: On July 13 the city council of Berkeley, Calif., asked voters to approve a 2.5 percent tax on the city’s  marijuana outlets, three of which grossed a total of $19 million last year, all cash. “This is huge,” says Mayor Tom Bates.

A dispensary in Oakland, Ca.

The tax will not only help close a $16.2 million budget gap, but it also makes sure that as the sale of pot goes mass market, the local community benefits, not outside business interests, Bates says. “We don’t want to have Philip Morris coming in here, sucking up all the money.”

Taxing pot sales is a growing trend across the nation as fiscally challenged cities eye the public’s budding acceptance of cannabis use. Denver has generated $1.2 million since December, when the city began collecting sales taxes from its 256 dispensaries. On June 15, Washington, D.C., approved a 6 percent tax on what will eventually be five dispensaries.

Oakland imposes a tax on the sale of medicinal marijuana!

The city of Oakland became the first place in America to impose a tax on the sale of medicinal marijuana this week in what has been seen as a huge step on the path towards marijuana’s eventual decriminalization. Famed for its liberal stance on the subject, Oakland (fondly dubbed Oaksterdam by the cannabis community) city council backed the move by unanimously voting through a proposition to allow voters a chance to have their say on Measure F.

Proposed by the city’s 4 “cannabis clubs” themselves as a way of contributing towards the local economy, Measure F imposes a tax of 1.8% on the sale of medical marijuana – $18 on every $1000 sold. “It is important because the city of Oakland is facing a massive deficit like many jurisdictions in California,” says Steve DeAngelo, a leader of one of the city’s cannabis clubs.. “And we decided to step up to the plate and make a contribution to the city in a time of need.” Measure F was passed into state law last Tuesday with 80% of voters backing the proposal in a special postal ballot.

Source: CNN.com