Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Recreational cannabis has been legal in the state of Colorado for two years and medical cannabis has been legal for nearly five. In that time, medical dispensaries and recreational shops have become an integral part of Colorado economics and community.
Local employment is one of the foundations of the cannabis economy in Northern Colorado. Choice Organics, a Fort Collins recreational shop and dispensary, employs 43 people at its store alone, in both full and part time positions. Dispensaries are local job creators, but manufacturing and production employers are driving significant growth state and country-wide. Nationally, it is estimated that the industry employed 100,000 — 150,000 people in 2016, and Colorado added 18,000 new full time positions in 2016.
"The individuals we employ live locally and they are pumping that money back into the local economy," said Amanda Woods, Compliance Officer and Marketing Manager for Choice Organics.
Dispensaries like Choice Organics try on local level to support other local businesses to keep money in local communities.
"We use all local businesses," Woods said. "For example, we use a local printing business called Business Card Factory of Colorado for all of our marketing and printing. That's someone who benefits from cannabis even if they aren't directly related to the sale of cannabis. We do team-building events at local restaurants, and use local contractors for security, building maintenance, and for other projects."
Dispensaries do everything other businesses do, from paying their HOA bills to maintain nearby roads to paying their taxes. The catch? The taxes dispensaries and shops incur are nearly 400 percent more than different businesses in Fort Collins and other parts of Northern Colorado.
Recreational shops in Larimer County pay a 13.55 percent tax on all recreational sales. Ten percent represents the State Recreational Marijuana Tax and that money gets put into the Marijuana Tax Cash Fund, which can then allocate money to the state's general fund.
This money gets put back into the community. In Fort Collins, Team Wellness & Prevention, a teen substance abuse prevention non-profit, is the recipient of grant money that originates from the Marijuana Tax Cash Fund.
Most businesses get tax breaks for donating to charity. Those tax breaks do not apply to cannabis businesses, but many choose to donate anyway.
A few of the organizations Choice Organics donates to are Food Bank for Larimer County, Project Self Sufficiency, Team Wellness and Prevention, various schools in Poudre Valley School District, Denkai Sanctuary, W.O.L.F. Sanctuary and Realities for Children. Sometimes dispensaries choose to donate anonymously because many people do not want to know they are benefitting from cannabis money.
"[Dispensaries] don't get to write [donations] off," said Woods. "Anytime we donate, we're trying to be good community members and contribute back to benefit everybody. When we make those anonymous donations, people don't even know that they are benefitting from the cannabis community."
Dispensaries are not just a place to buy cannabis. They are also as a part of society, a contributing business that pays its dues and helps others in need.
"[Dispensaries] are not treated the same and we go above and beyond to try and be good community members. The community at large benefits from that whether they know it or not," Woods said.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Cannabis Industry Has Become Significant Community Contributor
Author: Choice Organics
Contact: 970-493-6397
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: Coloradoan
Local employment is one of the foundations of the cannabis economy in Northern Colorado. Choice Organics, a Fort Collins recreational shop and dispensary, employs 43 people at its store alone, in both full and part time positions. Dispensaries are local job creators, but manufacturing and production employers are driving significant growth state and country-wide. Nationally, it is estimated that the industry employed 100,000 — 150,000 people in 2016, and Colorado added 18,000 new full time positions in 2016.
"The individuals we employ live locally and they are pumping that money back into the local economy," said Amanda Woods, Compliance Officer and Marketing Manager for Choice Organics.
Dispensaries like Choice Organics try on local level to support other local businesses to keep money in local communities.
"We use all local businesses," Woods said. "For example, we use a local printing business called Business Card Factory of Colorado for all of our marketing and printing. That's someone who benefits from cannabis even if they aren't directly related to the sale of cannabis. We do team-building events at local restaurants, and use local contractors for security, building maintenance, and for other projects."
Dispensaries do everything other businesses do, from paying their HOA bills to maintain nearby roads to paying their taxes. The catch? The taxes dispensaries and shops incur are nearly 400 percent more than different businesses in Fort Collins and other parts of Northern Colorado.
Recreational shops in Larimer County pay a 13.55 percent tax on all recreational sales. Ten percent represents the State Recreational Marijuana Tax and that money gets put into the Marijuana Tax Cash Fund, which can then allocate money to the state's general fund.
This money gets put back into the community. In Fort Collins, Team Wellness & Prevention, a teen substance abuse prevention non-profit, is the recipient of grant money that originates from the Marijuana Tax Cash Fund.
Most businesses get tax breaks for donating to charity. Those tax breaks do not apply to cannabis businesses, but many choose to donate anyway.
A few of the organizations Choice Organics donates to are Food Bank for Larimer County, Project Self Sufficiency, Team Wellness and Prevention, various schools in Poudre Valley School District, Denkai Sanctuary, W.O.L.F. Sanctuary and Realities for Children. Sometimes dispensaries choose to donate anonymously because many people do not want to know they are benefitting from cannabis money.
"[Dispensaries] don't get to write [donations] off," said Woods. "Anytime we donate, we're trying to be good community members and contribute back to benefit everybody. When we make those anonymous donations, people don't even know that they are benefitting from the cannabis community."
Dispensaries are not just a place to buy cannabis. They are also as a part of society, a contributing business that pays its dues and helps others in need.
"[Dispensaries] are not treated the same and we go above and beyond to try and be good community members. The community at large benefits from that whether they know it or not," Woods said.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Cannabis Industry Has Become Significant Community Contributor
Author: Choice Organics
Contact: 970-493-6397
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: Coloradoan
