When recreational use of marijuana in Michigan garnered voter approval, many municipalities elected to sit on the sidelines and defer any approval for retail stores or microbusinesses engaged in the product. Those who elected to “march forth” and allow such businesses to take up residence will begin to share in more than $45-million in tax money being distributed by the state tomorrow, ironically, Thursday, March 4th. For Berrien County and it’s governmental units that have such shops the first year tally clocks in at more than $280,000.00.
This morning the Michigan Department of Treasury announced that tomorrow they will begin distributing more than $45.7 million collected from taxes and fees under the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act (Initiated Law 1 of 2018).
As part of the Act, after funding statutorily defined distributions, disbursements will be as follows:
- 15-percent to municipalities in which a marijuana retail store or a marijuana microbusiness is located, allocated in proportion to the number of marijuana retail stores and marijuana microbusinesses within the municipality.
- 15-percent to counties in which a marijuana retail store or a marijuana microbusiness is located, allocated in proportion to the number of marijuana retail stores and marijuana microbusinesses within the county.
- 35-percent to the School Aid Fund to be used for K-12 education.
- 35-percent to the Michigan Transportation Fund to be used for the repair and maintenance of roads and bridges.
Cities, villages, townships and counties will be receiving nearly $10 million under the Act. The distribution rate for FY 2020 Recreational Marijuana payments is slightly over $28,000 per licensed marijuana retail store and microbusiness.
Each city, village, and township will receive a payment based on the number of licensed marijuana retail stores and microbusinesses located within its jurisdiction. In addition, counties will receive a payment based on the number of licensed marijuana retail stores and microbusinesses located within its jurisdiction.
Here’s what’s coming to the region:
- Berrien County will get $140,006.60
- Buchanan will get $84,003.96
- Niles will get $56,002.64
- Van Buren County will get $140,006.60
- Almena Township will get $28,001.32
- Bangor will get $56,002.64
- Breedsville will get $28,001.32
- Hartford will get $28,001.32
- Allegan County will get $28,001.32
- Douglas will get $28,001.32
A listing of all Recreational Marijuana payments can be found in the following document:
MunicipalMarijuanaTaxPayments2020
For more information about distributions under the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act, you can go to http://www.michigan.gov/revenuesharing. Questions regarding Recreational Marijuana payments can be emailed to TreasRevenueSharing@michigan.gov or call 517-335-7484.
