Pubdate: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 Source: Denver Post (CO) Copyright: 2013 The Denver Post Corp Contact: http://www.denverpost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122 Author: Bobbie Heisterkamp SUPPORT FOR STATE POT TAXES The citizens of Colorado legalized the personal use of marijuana last year, and now the state and local governments face the challenge of carefully regulating the sale of recreational marijuana. In order to fund that, Proposition AA was submitted by the Colorado legislature. It imposes a 10 percent sales tax on the sale of all recreational marijuana products, but does not change the current tax on medical marijuana. It also imposes a 15 percent excise tax on the wholesale price of cultivated marijuana. The first $40 million collected from the excise tax revenue will be given to the Public School Capital Construction Fund to build new schools and repair existing schools. Responsible regulation of marijuana sales is essential and expensive. Without the additional sales tax and excise tax, the state would be forced to get money from the over-stretched General Fund. The League of Women Voters of Colorado supports this measure. Bobbie Heisterkamp, Denver The writer is president of the League of Women Voters of Colorado. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom