Members of the marijuana business community in Oakland, California are calling on state and local officials to provide \u201ctax amnesty\u201d after numerous cannabis companies were robbed earlier this month.<\/p>\n
At a press conference on Monday, the Oakland-based association Supernova Women urged officials to deliver financial relief after more than 25 licensed marijuana businesses were burglarized or robbed during the week of November 15.<\/p>\n
Specifically, the non-profit group wants to see a repeal of the state\u2019s cannabis cultivation tax and a \u201csignificant reduction\u201d in the excise tax on marijuana products. They say that would help sustain small and minority-owned firms that are facing up to $5 million in losses following the robberies.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll types of licensed cannabis businesses were impacted\u2014cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and retail, delivery and storefront,\u201d Amber Senter, executive director of Supernova Women, said at the press conference. \u201cThe cannabis industry needs tax relief.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cCannabis equity businesses in particular need more money and resources. Small businesses and small farmers need help,\u201d she said. \u201cPiling on and increasing taxes\u2014and now with the threat of robberies and violence\u2014is proving to be unbearable for cannabis operators. When we\u2019re faced with targeted attacks, the effects are magnified. Our communities do not have the runway for robberies and tragedies of this time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Raeven Duckett, a social equity licensee who founded Text Johnnie, emphasized that \u201ccannabis companies operating in Oakland pay at least a 6 percent tax rate while other non cannabis companies pay 0.12 percent\u2014so cannabis companies are paying 600 percent more taxes than any other Oakland company.\u201d<\/p>\n
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