"Luis Rivera stated, 'There's no guarantee or mechanism to assure that illegal operators will pay the taxes or fulfill their obligations.' He emphasized the difficulties in enforcing tax compliance among illegal cannabis businesses."
"Rivera pointed out that even if illegal operators pay taxes, they could still undercut legal businesses by selling unregulated products and avoiding necessary inspections and safety tests."
"He argued, 'For an already struggling industry, the answer isn't taxing more businesses, it's lowering taxes.' This reflects the need for a more supportive approach to legal cannabis businesses."
Social Equity LA, a nonprofit advocacy group, opposes Measure CB, stating it could legitimize the illegal cannabis industry and tie city finances to uncertain tax revenues. Executive director Luis Rivera emphasized that the measure undermines Proposition 64, which mandates licensing for cannabis businesses. He noted the challenges in enforcing tax payments from illegal operators and highlighted that they could undercut legal businesses by avoiding regulations. Rivera argued that the solution for the struggling industry lies in lowering taxes rather than imposing more.
Read at Los Angeles Times
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]