State transfers over $ 6 million from medical marijuana sales to fund veterans services | Local
On Thursday, the Missouri Department of Health and Seniors’ Services completed the second transfer of more than $ 6 million from the Missouri medical marijuana program to the Missouri Veterans Commission.
The MVC is a state agency that tries to provide assistance to all veterans, as well as their dependents and legal representatives. It also provides veterans with nursing care, security benefits and a decent resting place.
In November 2018, Missourians voted to pass Constitutional Amendment 2, or Article XIV, which included a provision requiring that fees and taxes generated by the medical marijuana program be transferred to the VMC.
Medical marijuana sold in licensed dispensaries is taxed at 4%. Since sales began in October 2020, the dispensaries have made more than $ 113 million. This is where the The $ 6,843,310 transferred Thursday was from.
“MVC will use these funds for the veterans health and safety initiatives identified in House Bill 8,” said Paul Kirchhoff, executive director of the Missouri Veterans Commission in a press release. “A portion of these funds will also be used to complete the columbarium wall at Missouri Veterans Cemetery – Jacksonville. “
Lyndall Fraker, director of the Medical Marijuana Regulation Section at DHSS, said in a press release that there are currently more than 140 dispensaries in Missouri.
Brandon Ray, a bud supplier at Green Releaf, said business was doing well.
“Now that we finally have a consistent amount of product, (business) is definitely getting pretty stable now,†he said.
Ray thinks the tax paid to the Veterans Commission is a great idea and said many veterans have come to the store saying they appreciate it.
Overall on the business side he said people don’t seem to care about the tax. “For the most part, it was accepted with open arms.”