Grand Junction OKs Marijuana | Western Colorado

About the same percentage of Grand Junction residents who voted to ban the sale of medical marijuana in the city in 2011 voted to allow retail marijuana on Tuesday.

Approximately 58% of voters voted in poll 2B, which lifts the 2011 ban on selling marijuana within city limits.

At the same time, only about 55% of voters agreed to question 2A, which collects taxes on these sales.

“This will bring a lot of investment, lots of jobs and great economic diversity to Grand Junction,” said Aron Diaz, campaign manager for Responsible Growth Grand Junction, the issue committee that supported the move. “We will be very excited to work with the city council to move the regulatory process forward as it ironed it out, and we look forward to seeing some new business and opportunities in Grand Junction.”

In 2011, the last time city residents voted on marijuana, nearly 58% of voters opposed approval to medical marijuana dispensaries. Later that year, the district’s voters also approved a ban on pharmacies, albeit with a much closer gap.

All of this happened a year before recreational marijuana became legal nationwide, a law that did not allow local retail stores to open unless approved by local governments or their constituents. Based on these earlier votes, both the district commissioners and the city council have decided neither to do this nor to submit the measure to the voters.

Retail and medical marijuana sales are already legal in Palisade and De Beque.

The marijuana industry didn’t play a huge role in the implementation of the two Grand Junction measures, but the Main Supporting Issues Committee raised much of its campaign money from Renee Grossman, president and general manager of a basalt-based marijuana retail chain, The Plum Companies.

The accompanying election measure, Question 2B, would increase the city’s normal sales tax from 3.25% to 8.25%, but only on sales of marijuana products. It also allows that particular increase to grow by 5% in the coming years without voter approval, but no more than 15%.

This second measure also imposes a 3% excise duty on wholesale sales and allows it to be increased to a maximum of 10% without additional voter approval.

Overall, the move is expected to raise no more than $ 2.9 million in the first year.

These taxes would be in addition to the normal state sales tax of 2.9%, a special sales tax of 15% on marijuana sold in stores, and a 15% excise tax of 15% on wholesale sales.

The proceeds from these sales would go to indoor and outdoor parks and recreational facilities, including the city’s walking trails and open spaces. None of the tax dollars are subject to income restrictions under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.

Since it was legalized in retail trade in the state, marijuana has had total sales of $ 10 billion nationwide, with the state generating more than $ 1.6 billion in revenue from pot taxes and fees, according to the Colorado Treasury Department.

In an unrelated electoral act, voters overwhelmingly voted in favor of Question 2C, a measure amending a 2013 city ordinance on the development of real estate near the intersection of Streets 27 1/2 and C 1/2.