Town seeks marijuana tax

Thinkstock.com Photo A marijuana farm produces a crop.

Two Chino Valley Town Council members hope to see the State legislature consider, write and pass a bill that would allow a tax on medical marijuana farms in Chino Valley, including at least two such farms in this community.

At its April 22 meeting, the council unanimously approved a resolution supporting legislation to impose the tax on facilities growing medical marijuana and to direct staff to send copies of the resolution to the Arizona League of Cities and Towns and the State legislature.

The resolution states that tax will be used to “offset the strain on the resources and infrastructure of those communities in which the medical marijuana growing facilities are located.”

Mayor Chris Marley and Council Member Linda Hatch placed the resolution on the agenda and Hatch gave a detailed presentation on the need for the tax, from history and federal law regarding marijuana to blogs on marijuana growing.

In their agenda information packet, Marley and Hatch stated that, “Such growing facilities are considered by many citizens to be a “soft target” for criminals, increasing the workload for local law enforcement, thus impacting municipal expenses.”

“One of my biggest concerns is that other pharmacies and businesses in area are paying us some sales tax and the sales tax on medical marijuana goes to the location that has the facility selling the pot,” Hatch said. “We’re probably one of the few (communities) that has many more medical marijuana farms than we have facilities that sell it. That’s what brought this to my attention.”

Hatch said that crime has increased at medical marijuana farms, and news of their location is being made public.

“What the State does is try to keep the locations of these places (farms) kind of quiet,” Hatch said.

Hatch then showed a copy of an article in the Verde Independent newspaper in Cottonwood that published a photo of the location of a facility in that community.

“So, you know, there’s no guarantee that it won’t become public,” Hatch said. “And my concern is that eventually those things could become a burden on our law enforcement, and we’re not receiving any tax benefit, as those are taxed as agriculture facilities.”

After the meeting, Hatch said she didn’t know of any crime reported involving the two existing medical marijuana farms in Chino Valley, but that crimes at farms in the Phoenix area are happening, in which the DEA and local police were called. She said those farms often employ armed guards in bullet-proof vests and install security cameras.

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Town seeks marijuana tax