On Thursday, Pennsylvania’s Auditor General announced the release of a report titled “Regulating & Taxing Marijuana” that lays out the advantages of establishing a legal, regulated adult-use cannabis market. The attention-grabbing special report provides data detailing the potential revenue and financial benefits legal weed could bring to Pennsylvania.

PA’s Auditor General Eugene DePasquale Is Seeing Green

Naturally, an auditor general would play up the money-making aspects of legalizing marijuana. And the aesthetics of Eugene DePasquale’s 14-page report certainly suggest he’s seeing green.

On page six, a large, green heading reads “$1.66 billion” to indicate the economic boost PA can expect from legal cannabis. DePasquale’s math is simple.

Using survey data from the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, DePasquale calculated the number of adults who admit to regularly using marijuana in Pennsylvania at just under 800,000 people.

Then, using data from Colorado and Washington, DePasquale estimated Pennsylvania cannabis consumers would spend roughly $2,080 each per year on weed. That adds up to a $1.66 billion industry, should Pennsylvania legalize cannabis for adults.

But that estimate accounts just for sales, and wouldn’t include the economic benefits of job creation, business opportunities, investments and decreased criminal legal system costs.

Furthermore, DePasquale’s report paints an appealing picture of the revenue Pennsylvania could gain from taxing the legal cannabis industry.

The Auditor General envisages a 35-37 percent total tax rate. That includes a 10 percent excise tax for producers, a 19 percent sales/retail excise tax, and a state sales tax of 6 percent. DePasquale also indicated that counties could add local sales taxes of 1 to 2 percent.

Pittsburgh Mayor and Auditor General Team Up To Support Legalizing Weed

Taxing a $1.66

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