Oakland Sees $ in Medical Marijuana

It’s hard to believe that Oakland beat notoriously liberal Berkeley on taxing marijuana, but it’s true. Yesterday, Oakland became the first city in the country to approve a medical marijuana tax, with the support of 80 percent of voters. This new development makes the July 30 Club event on the pros and cons of legalized marijuana even more interesting.

Some critics strongly believe that medical marijuana is a farce, simple providing a legal way for pot smokers to obtain their drug of choice. Others passionately name studies that show the important medicinal purposes of marijuana and back them up with personal experiences. But no matter what side you take on the medical marijuana debate, there is no debating the City of Oakland’s need for money. Oakland will now be receiving $18 for every $1,000 of medical marijuana sold, with the total annual tax revenue estimated between $300,000 to $1 million. Since the city’s deficit is around $50 million, some Oaklanders might think it wouldn’t be so bad if doctors wrote more marijuana prescriptions.

--Camille Koué