By Deb Stanley | 7NEWS Producer
Taxes collected from marijuana are being weighed by officials who are looking to fund a new police unit.
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO –– Taxes on medical marijuana related businesses may fund a new unit with the Colorado Springs Police Department. It’s a unit dedicated to monitoring medical marijuana businesses.
Sales tax revenue from medical marijuana has risen to about $50,000 a month in Colorado Springs, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette.
The newspaper reported that money could pay for three detectives and a code enforcement officer for a new medical marijuana team which would be created in 2011 under the proposed budget awaiting City Council approval. The team would be part of the Metro Vice, Narcotics and Intelligence task force.
“We have a whole new industry … that we have to make sure it’s done safely and it’s not having an impact on quality of life in the community, as well as other crimes,” Deputy Police Chief Pete Carey told the newspaper.
