City of Boulder Ballot Issue 2A
Recreational marijuana tax
Vote No
In
addition to the statewide taxes for recreational marijuana that are
on the ballot, Boulder residents will also get to vote on two citywide
taxes on recreational marijuana.
Ballot Issue 2A calls for a 5 percent excise tax and a 3.5 percent
sales tax on recreational pot. Each tax could eventually rise as high
as 10 percent.
Boulder Weekly is
endorsing Proposition AA, the statewide taxes on recreational
marijuana. But combine those with the taxes proposed by 2A, and you
suddenly have an extremely high tax burden placed on retail marijuana
shops within city limits. The high taxes could incentivize pot smokers
to make their retail marijuana purchases in Denver, where just a
proposed 3.5 percent sales tax is on the ballot.
City
Council wants to spend the taxes on both regulation — managing
licensing and enforcement — and treatment and education, including
educating children about the dangers of marijuana. How many free-range
eggs will be crushed in a frying pan during the city’s “This is your
brain on dope” campaign? We’d rather not know. More seriously, Boulder
has not effectively demonstrated the need for additional regulation on
the city level that goes beyond what the state will provide, nor has it
shown that there is any reason to worry that recreational marijuana
will result in increased use among children.
The taxes proposed by Ballot Issue 2A are excessive and unnecessary. Vote no.
View all of Boulder Weekly’s endorsements here.
