Medford, Ore. — Jackson County voters spoke up loud and clearyesterday. 64% voted in favor of taxing medical and recreational marijuana in incorporated areas ofJackson County. However, there is still a lot to be decided moving forward.
At the Jackson Co. Board of Commissioners meeting Wednesday, March 11, 2015 a local resident William Mansfield voiced his concerns.
“I do believe and continue to believe that that election is going nowhere,” said Mansfield. “My question today is whether the county spends additional money to defend it.”
Jackson Co. Commissioner Doug Breidenthal responded by saying,”I don’t think getting into a discussion at this point in time would not be appropriate.”
However, there is a lot to discuss as uncertainty looms. Measure 91 as written does not allow local governments to tax recreational marijuana, but many cities and counties are hoping to do so. Depending on what the legislature decides, it could end up in the courts andsome worry that could further cost Jackson County taxpayers.
“To come up with what we are going to do is a little premature,” says Breidenthal.
He wont get into hypotheticals, but he says the board is watching the action of Salem closely.
“The conversation right now in Salem is ripe to allow local government to put a tax in place because the state is starting to recognize that Measure 91 didn’t necessarily do everything for the local government.”
Brie Malarkey, owner of Breeze Botanicals in Gold Hill and Ashland worries about a county tax. Both of her businesses are in incorporated areas of Jackson County, but the farmers who supply her are not. That raises her concern that a tax could not only jeopardize her profits, but also hurt her patients.
Malarkey says, “Patients aren’t going to want to pay 25% more for something that came from JacksonCounty vs. Josephine County.”
She believes this may push consumers towards the black market, something Commissioner Breidenthal isn’t worried about.
“In my opinion, this will actually take and put some controls in place so that a lot of it wont hit the black market,” he explains.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.