County keeps same cannabis tax rates for 2020

The Del Norte County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to maintain the local cannabis tax rates for 2020 at current levels.

The tax rate for a retailer of adult-use cannabis will stay at 6% of gross receipts. The tax rate for a cannabis manufacturer stays at 3%.

Robert Derego of the Sticky Grove marijuana dispensary had recommended lowering the manufacturer’s rate. “Logically, we don’t have any manufacturers here, so we wouldn’t lose nothing to set that at 1%.

“You might attract a manufacturer ... a potential GDP gain and jobs, that sort of thing,” Derego said.

On May 8, 2018, the Board of Supervisors adopted the Del Norte County Cannabis Tax Ordinance, which it submitted to voters in the Nov. 6, 2018 general election as Measure B. The measure was passed by more than 62% of the voters.

That ordinance sets the taxation ranges - between 2% and 6% for retailers, and 1% to 3% for manufacturers. The Board of Supervisors is authorized to set the final figure.