City puts Cannabis tax measure on November ballot

A divided Calexico City Council included a Cannabis business tax measure on the November ballot.

If the measure passes in November, the city will place a 15 percent gross tax on sales of Cannabis cultivated locally and sold outside the area. It would also collect a 25-dollar-per-square-foot tax on facilities used for cultivation.

The local Cannabis business is currently limited to the area around Cole Boulevard south of the Portico Industrial Center. City officials said they’re working to expand that.

Some council members opposed the measure saying use and sale of Cannabis is illegal at the federal level and it’s something not good for the community.

Councilmember Bill Hodge said growth of the industry in the area and statewide is inevitable and they might as well cash in.

“It’s a good thing to do properly regulated and controlled, which it will be, and generate revenue. It’s been told that it should approximately generate about seven-hundred thousand a year just to begin with,” Hodge said.

A public forum will be announced to help community better understand the impact of the measure.

Watch our newscast for more details.