CARTHAGE, Mo.- Carthage’s city council has voted to call an election on the question of whether to impose an additional 3% sales tax on recreational marijuana.
During the statewide election of November 2022, Missouri voters approved an amendment to the state’s constitution, which made the use and sale of recreational (adult use) marijuana legal in Missouri for adults over the age of 21.
Carthage City Council unanimously voted to put a question regarding the additional 3% sales tax on recreational marijuana on the ballot for the April 4 municipal elections. “The City Council voted unanimously to approve that tax,” said Tiffany Cossey, Council Member 5th Ward. “It's something that's allowed by the new amendment that passed to allow cities to collect taxes to kind of help offset the cost of this type of thing.”
If voters approve the Marijuana Tax, the City of Carthage will collect an additional 3% sales tax on purchases of recreational marijuana. The funds collected from the tax would be allocated to the City's general fund. The city is expecting to generate 50k-100k in recreational sales tax in the first year.
The local dispensary, Blue Sage Cannabis Deli, supports the additional sales tax because the community will directly benefit from it. “It's a really good thing. We're making a lot of people feel a lot better,” said Adam Murphy, Manager of Blue Sage Cannabis Deli. “And then you add on a little bit of extra tax revenue to the communities on top of that, then I think we're doing a lot of good for the city of Carthage.”
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Amber is from Raeford, North Carolina, and spent her college years in the Appalachian mountains at Western Carolina University. She graduated with double concentrations in Broadcasting and Journalism with a minor in Computer Information Systems. During Amber’s time there, she worked in IT repairing computers and as a radio host for her classic rock radio program. Amber joined KOAM’s team to learn and grow as a reporter. When she’s not working, Amber is hanging out with her chihuahua or playing video games.
