MISSOULA — Based on preliminary results of Tuesday’s election released shortly after 8 p.m., an estimated 78% of Missoula County voters supported a 3% tax on recreational marijuana sales.
But far fewer – just 49.3% – supported a similar 3% tax on medical marijuana. As a result, the medical marijuana tax appeared defeated by 460 votes. That was based on just 38% of 88,139 registered voters turning in their ballots in this mail-in election.
If those are the final totals, the tax revenue will be only half of the annual $716,000 the city and county anticipated. Missoula County will get half of the revenue and the city of Missoula will get 45% with the remainder going to the state for administration.
In July, the Missoula County Commission pledged its portion to housing and tax relief.
“We’re overly property taxed because we have a lack of other tools to generate revenue by which can use to provide services. I feel like housing and property tax relief are broad enough that we could do lots of different things,” Commissioner Josh Slotnick said in July.
The state taxes medical marijuana at 4% percent and will tax recreation marijuana at 20% when the tax goes into effect on Jan. 1. With tonight’s results, taxes on recreational pot will be 23% in Missoula County. That will apply to 57 dispensaries in Missoula County, and no new dispensaries can open for 18 months after January.
There’s a chance the tax revenue will increase with time. In the seven states with similar programs in 2019, marijuana tax revenues represented almost 0.4% of overall state budgets. But, revenues have grown consistently over the last three years in the states with more established markets, according to the county commissioners’ webpage.
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