Denver to Raise Sales Tax on Marijuana to Double Funds for Affordable Housing

A proposal backed by the mayor hopes to address Denver's affordable housing issues with additional funds from a tax increase on marijuana sales. "Mayor Michael Hancock’s office said raising the city’s retail marijuana tax rate from 3.5 percent to 5.5 percent would allow Denver to increase its Affordable Housing Fund from $15 million to $30 million a year," Joey Bunch reports for the Colorado Springs Gazette.

The proposal was welcomed by The Marijuana Industry Group, whose spokesperson Kristi Kelly said that the industry wants to be "part of the solution," for affordable housing in the city, according to reporting from Brunch.