The Arizona Senate voted last week to impose a state tax on medicinal marijuana if the drug is ever legalized in the state.
The lawmakers sent SB 1222 to the House on a 17-to-12 vote, with five Republicans, including Senate President Bob Burns, in favor.
The bill would impose a $20 per ounce luxury tax on medicinal marijuana, along with the state’s 5.6% sales tax.
Andrew Myers — who is leading the Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project’s effort to authorize legal sales of the drug through a referendum in November — projects revenue from the tax will run from $1 million to $4 million a year.
The proposed referendum would allow terminally or seriously ill patients to purchase up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana every two weeks from state-regulated dispensaries.
