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Proposition 64’s selling points were to legalize and grow the cannabis market, and lower cannabis prices to benefit consumers. This promised that taxes would not just pay for the program itself but they would be sufficient to offset the secondary impacts of cannabis use (e.g. drug treatment, youth programs, environmental protection). The county set the tax rate relatively low and now there is serious doubt that the program costs are covered, let alone these secondary impacts.

On Feb 16th, the North Bay Business Journal reported youth and social justice groups across the state, including the North Bay, countered with a letter requesting the taxes remain for their own survival.The letter signed by 152 children’s advocacy groups claims that if state lawmakers “lower, suspend and/or eliminate the tax rates approved by voters in Proposition 64, we will see an immediate, negative impact on thousands of children living in poverty and children of color across our state.”

The Cannabis industry is experience normal economic growing pains. They over produced driving down prices, now supply/demand is coming into balance with high prices. No tax relief should be provided for normal business cycles.

Sonoma County’s North Bay Credit Union points to cannabis banking for record growth, yet the cannabis industry wants a tax break!

The Cannabis industry has come to both Sonoma County and the State of California asking for tax relief. The industry claims the recent drop in prices makes their cultivation taxes unaffordable. Taxes are not their real problem and tax relief in not the real long term solution.