BUTTE - Voters in Butte-Silver Bow County approved imposing local taxes on medical and recreational marijuana.
Staff at dispensaries across Butte were surprised to hear the passage of the tax that would raise prices for customers.
At Collective Elevation, staff was frustrated by the tax increase on medical marijuana.
"We don’t believe that any medicine should be taxed at all that’s why we won’t be raising our prices here. We’re gonna eat that cost. We think that’s the right thing to do." said Kade Kude.
Medical marijuana is already taxed at 4 percent by the state. With the added Butte-Silver Bow tax, of 3%. it will now be taxed at 7%.
Recreational marijuana is taxed at 20% by the state and will now be taxed the extra 3% — to total out at 23%.
"We don’t think that you should be taxing and getting tax revenue on the pain of other people so we’ve made that choice, we made that pretty quickly, we are proud to do that," said Kuder.
The three percent local-option excise tax on recreational marijuana passed with 78% of voters approving the tax and 22% opposed.
The 3% City-County tax on medical marijuana passed by a margin of 59% in favor and 41% opposed.
