Cities in KC metro will vote on how high weed taxes should be. What to expect on your ballot
Recreational marijuana sales in Missouri have been on a roll for over a month and on April 4, cities and counties will decide how to tax the adult-use weed sales locally.
In the first two days of recreational marijuana sales, Missouri dispensaries reported more than $8.5 million from recreational adult-use sales alone, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
Now, residents will get the chance to vote on whether cities like Kansas City, Raymore, Kearney, Belton and more can impose an additional 3% excise tax on top of current state and local sales taxes, similar to additional taxes on tobacco, alcohol and fuel.
If cities approve the 3% tax rate, people purchasing marijuana will be paying both an additional 3% tax at the local level and 6% state excise tax on recreational weed. The state taxes medical marijuana at a rate of 4%.
These excise taxes on marijuana products are in addition to the state’s general sales tax rate of 4.2%.
All of these taxes will add up. For example, if Kearney voters approve the added local 3% tax in April, those buying weed would pay more than 17% in sales taxes, according to Kearney’s city administrator Sheila Ernzen.
In addition to cities, Jackson and Cass counties will also hold special elections so voters can decide if those counties can also impose their own added 3% excise tax on recreational marijuana.
In Kansas City, the additional 3% sales tax would be in addition to the 10.85% sales tax, which includes city, county and state sales taxes, and the additional 6% statewide weed tax. There’s also a chance Jackson County voters approve a countywide 3% excise tax.
So a regular consumer shopping in the Jackson County portions of Kansas City could see nearly 23% in sales taxes if the city’s ballot question is approved.
All of the jurisdictions will ask voters to decide on the recreational marijuana tax with a simple yes or no question. Some cities have also gone as far to include some context around what the extra tax revenue will be used for.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and city officials hope that the additional 3% tax would lead to an average of $3 million in revenue in the first year for Missouri’s largest city and $10 million by the fifth year of taxing the recreational drug.
In Excelsior Springs, if the 3% tax is approved, the money will be used for public safety and drug abuse prevention. And in Jackson County some of the money will fund community services and veteran support services.
Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect on your ballot on April 4, depending on which city you live in.
Which cities will be voting on a marijuana tax this spring?
Shall the City of Kansas City impose an additional sales tax of three percent (3%) on the retail sale of adult use nonmedicinal marijuana for the exclusive purpose of providing neighborhood quality of life improvements, to fund through the Department of Health, refuse and neighborhood cleanup services, homeless prevention services, and violence prevention services administered by the City?
Jackson County
Shall Jackson County, Missouri, be authorized to impose a countywide sales tax of three percent (3%) on all tangible personal property retail sales of adult use, non-medicinal marijuana sold in Jackson County, for the purpose of funding community services and veterans support services through a dedicated special revenue fund, and for other purposes authorized for the expenditure of county general revenues?
Blue Springs
Shall the city of Blue Springs impose an additional sales tax of three percent (3%) on the retail sale of adult use nonmedical marijuana?
Grain Valley
Shall the city of Grain Valley, Missouri impose a city sales tax of three percent (3%) on the sales of adult use marijuana sold at retail?
Greenwood
Shall the city of Greenwood, Missouri impose an additional sales tax of three percent (3%) on the tangible personal property retail sale of adult use marijuana?
Independence
For the purpose of funding public safety facilities and operations, shall the city of Independence, Missouri impose an additional sales tax of three percent (3%) on the retail sale of adult use non-medical marijuana?
Lake Lotawana
Shall the city of Lake Lotawana, Missouri, impose an additional sales tax of three percent (3%) on all retail sales of adult use marijuana sold in the city of Lake Lotawana, Missouri?
Lee’s Summit
Shall the city of Lee’s Summit, Missouri impose a city sales tax of three percent (3%) on all retail sales of adult use, nonmedical marijuana sold in the city of Lee’s Summit, Missouri?
Lone Jack
Shall the city of Lone Jack, Missouri impose a sales tax of three percent (3%) on the retail sale of adult use non-medical marijuana?
Grandview
Shall the city of Grandview, Missouri, impose a sales tax of three percent (3%) on all retail sales of non-medicinal adult use marijuana sold in the city of Grandview, Missouri?
Raytown
Shall the city of Raytown impose an additional sales tax of three percent (3%) on the retail sale of adult use nonmedicinal marijuana? [The tax collected under this provision would not apply to medical marijuana.]
Sugar Creek
Shall the city of Sugar Creek impose an additional sales tax of three percent (3%) on the retail sale of adult use nonmedical marijuana? [The tax collected under this provision would not apply to medical marijuana.]
Town of River Bend
Shall the village of River Bend, Missouri impose a village sales tax of three percent (3%) on the sales of adult use marijuana sold at retail?
Riverside
Shall the City of Riverside, Missouri impose a sales tax of three percent (3%) on the retail sale of adult use non-medical marijuana?
Weston
Shall the City of Weston, Missouri impose a city sales tax of Three Percent (3%) on the sales of adult use marijuana sold at retail?
Northmoor
Shall the city of NORTHMOOR impose a city sales tax of THREE percent (3.0%) on adult use marijuana sold within the city?
Cass County
Shall Cass County, Missouri impose a countywide sales tax of three percent (3%) on all tangible personal property retail sales of adult-use marijuana sold in Cass County, Missouri?
City of Archie
Shall the City of Archie, Missouri impose a city sales tax of Three Percent (3%) on the sales of adult use marijuana sold at retail?
Belton
Shall the City of Belton, Missouri, impose a sales tax of three percent on all tangible personal property retail sales of adult use, non-medical marijuana sold in the City of Belton, Missouri?
Cleveland
Shall the City of Cleveland, Missouri impose a sales tax of three percent (3%) on the retail sale of adult use nonmedical marijuana?
Harrisonville
Shall the City of Harrisonville Missouri, impose a sales tax of three percent (3%) on all the retail sales of nonmedicinal, adult use marijuana sold in the City of Harrisonville, Missouri?
Lake Winnebago
Shall the City of Lake Winnebago, Missouri impose a city sales tax of Three Percent (3%) on the sales of adult use marijuana sold at retail?
Raymore
Shall the City of Raymore impose an additional sales tax of three percent (3%) on the retail sale of adult-use nonmedical marijuana?
Peculiar
Shall the City of Peculiar, Missouri impose a city sales tax of Three Percent (3%) on the sales of adult use marijuana sold at retail?
Excelsior Springs
Shall the City of Excelsior Springs, Missouri impose a sales tax of three percent (3%) on the retail sale of adult use non-medical marijuana to be used for public safety and drug abuse prevention purposes?
Gladstone
Shall the City of Gladstone, Missouri impose a sales tax of three percent on all tangible personal property retail sales of non-medical adult use marijuana sold in the City of Gladstone, Missouri?
Kearney
Shall the City of Kearney, Missouri impose a city sales tax of Three Percent (3%) on the sales of adult use marijuana sold at retail?
Liberty
Shall the City of Liberty, Missouri impose an additional sales tax at a rate of 3% on all retail sales of adult use marijuana sold within the City for public safety?
Pleasant Valley
Shall the City of Pleasant Valley, Missouri, impose a sales tax of three percent (3%) on all retail sales of adult use non-medical marijuana in the City of Pleasant Valley, Missouri?
Lawson
Shall the City of Lawson, Missouri impose a city sales tax of Three Percent (3%) on the sales of adult use marijuana sold at retail?
Smithville
Shall the City of Smithville impose a city sales tax of three percent (3%) on all retail sales of adult use marijuana sold within the city?
