City of Visalia to propose cannabis tax on November ballot: what that means

VISALIA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Right now, cannabis can’t beryllium sold astatine stores wrong the metropolis limits of Visalia, but that whitethorn not ever beryllium the case. If that time comes, the metropolis has a program for retailers.

“What we are present doing is enactment connected the ballot successful November the accidental to taxation whether it beryllium warehousing, cultivation, and oregon retail,” said Visalia City Councilman, Steve Nelson.

Nelson says the metropolis is laying down the groundwork should cannabis income ever beryllium legalized successful Visalia City limits. He says it could instrumentality a metropolis assembly ballot to marque it ineligible to merchantability marijuana successful stores wrong metropolis limits.

“If it came contiguous to a vote, I deliberation the wherewithal of the council, I'm not going to accidental it's going to beryllium a 5-0 vote, but I deliberation determination would beryllium capable votes to let it,” helium said. 

In anticipation, the metropolis has drawn up a program that would taxation cannabis businesses nary much than 10% of gross receipts, oregon up to 10 dollars per quadrate ft of cultivation.

If approved, the metropolis could take to allocate the wealth to antithetic needs specified arsenic younker programs, nationalist safety, oregon to code homelessness.

“Then you're taking, let's say, successful someone's eyes and this is benignant of negative, but you're benignant of taking it, saying no, it's benignant of a affirmative due to the fact that present we're capable to payment these antithetic areas,” Nelson said.

Research suggests that the gross made from the cannabis taxation could beryllium ample successful scale.

“The advisor we've utilized said the gross watercourse for america could beryllium astir $500,000.”

The taxation measurement volition beryllium presented connected the ballot connected Nov. 5.