[420 Girl]

When Long Beach voters join other Californians in November to decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana, they may also get the chance to decide if it should be taxed.

The City Council took a step Tuesday night toward putting a marijuana tax measure on the ballot that would levy a 10 percent tax on the recreational drug and a 5 percent tax on medical marijuana. City officials don't know how revenue the tax would raise, but they're looking for every penny to help eliminate an estimated $18.5 million budget deficit in the next fiscal year.

However, getting the medical marijuana tax onto the ballot may prove to be a challenge.

The council voted 8-1 to have a public hearing on the proposed tax Aug. 3, when the council will vote again on actually placing it on the ballot.

A key requirement, and the one that may derail the medical marijuana tax, is that the council must unanimously declare a fiscal emergency in order to place a measure on the ballot that only needs 50 percent voter approval. The other option is to put the tax on the ballot without a fiscal emergency resolution, which would require a much more difficult two-thirds voter approval.

A single council member could block the fiscal emergency vote, and on Tuesday it was Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske who cast the single vote against the tax proposal.

"I have great difficulty now taxing something that we have said is for medicinal purposes," Schipske said.

The council approved strict new regulations for medical marijuana collectives in March that require them to register and limit where they can be located.

Councilman Robert Garcia was the only other council member to speak out against the proposal, citing the same concerns, but he said he would vote to have the hearing next month when the council can fully vet the issue.

Although medical marijuana advocates and patients didn't turn out in droves Tuesday as they did in the months leading up to the council's vote on collective regulations, a handful showed up to plead with the council. They said that just as regular prescription drugs aren't taxed, medical marijuana, which is a necessity for many people, shouldn't be taxed.


NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Press-Telegram
Author: Paul Eakins
Contact: Press-Telegram
Copyright: 2010 Los Angeles Newspaper group
Website: Long Beach council backs marijuana tax measure


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