Nevada nets $3.7 million in 1st month of marijuana tax collections

By Colin A. Young
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

The Silver State is seeing green, having hauled in $3.68 million in state tax revenue during the first month of legal marijuana sales.

The bulk of the revenue was generated by Nevada's 10 percent retail tax on sales of recreational marijuana, totaling $2.71 million in July, the Nevada Department of Taxation reported. Another $974,060 came from a 15 percent wholesale tax charged to all cannabis cultivators.
Wholesale tax revenue goes to Nevada schools and is expected to bring in $56.2 million over the next two years.

Revenue from the 10 percent retail tax will go to the state's rainy day fund and is expected to produce $63.5 million over the next two years. Marijuana became legal in Nevada on Jan. 1 and retail sales began July 1, making the state the fifth in the country to provide legal retail access to marijuana.

Massachusetts consumers will pay a state excise tax of 10.75 percent, the 6.25 percent sales tax, and a local option tax of up to 3 percent on retail sales.

Based on estimates compiled by the Department of Revenue – using a range in taxable sales between $771 million and $1.433 billion – a 20 percent effective tax rate on marijuana could produce between $72 million and $134 million annually, or between $6 million and $11 million a month in Massachusetts.

Although Nevada's population is less than half of that of Massachusetts, 203 of the 250 marijuana licenses issued in Nevada are in Clark County, which includes the major tourist destination Las Vegas, according to that state's Department of Taxation. So far, Nevada has licensed 53 retail stores, 92 cultivation facilities, 65 product manufacturing facilities, 31 distributors, and nine testing labs.

After largely avoiding marijuana policy proposals for years, the state Legislature this year rewrote the voter-approved law legalizing adult use of marijuana. The redrafted law boosted tax rates and state and local officials are now eyeing pot tax revenues as they compile future spending proposals.

Bay State voters approved marijuana legalization last November. Retail sales in Massachusetts are expected to begin in July 2018.

How Hull Voted – State Primary, Sept. 8

STATE PRIMARY POLLS OPEN UNTIL 8 PM

By Susan Ovans

Today is the state primary election. Secretary of State William Galvin forecasts that less than 10 percent of registered voters statewide will go to the polls.
That number may be significantly higher in Hull, Hingham, Cohasset, and North Scituate, where five candidates are mounting write-in campaigns to replace veteran state representative Garrett Bradley, who resigned his seat last month.
Bradley's resignation came after the deadline to withdraw had passed. Voters who take a Democratic ballot will see his name on the ballot, but Bradley says he will decline the nomination if he wins today.
Two former Hull selectmen–John Brannan and Joan Meschino–are among the five running a write-in (also known as a sticker) campaign for state rep.
Brannan is a Republican. Meschino is a Democrat.
The winners of each party's election will compete in the November general election. There may also be a third nominee, from the United Independent party, if Cohasset's Keri Thompson secures enough votes to earn her place on the November ballot.
The polls at the Memorial School, 81 Central Ave., are open until 8 p.m.
To vote for a write-in candidate for state representative, you must find a campaign worker at the polls who has stickers, or you can "write in" your candidate's name and address on the STATE REPRESENTATIVE line. THEN YOU MUST FILL IN THE OVAL NEXT TO THE NAME (or sticker).
Here are the names and addresses as listed on the candidates' websites. [Kristen Arute's has no address listed. Keri Thompson instructs supporters to write in her name, followed by Cohasset.]
DEMOCRATS
• Stephen Burm, 5 Pine Grove Rd., Hingham
• Joan Meschino, 1 Bradford Ave., Hull
REPUBLICANS
• Kristen Arute, Hingham
• John Brannan, 11 Merrill Rd., Hull
UNITED INDEPENDENT PARTY
• Keri Thompson, Cohasset
Because the primary election falls on a Thursday this year instead of the regular Tuesday, many voters aren't aware that the polls are open today. And write-in campaigns are notoriously difficult.
The candidates have worked hard in the few weeks since Bradley announced his departure to make themselves known to the Third Plymouth District electorate. Please reward them for their efforts. Vote today. ∞

Candidates Make Final Push Before Today's Election

Hull Nantasket Chamber of Commerce's Candidates night, located at The Red Parrot.

Kelvin Jones photos for The Hull Times.

President Patricia Abbate addressed the crowd at the Hull-Nantasket Chamber of Commerce's candidates event last night at The Red Parrot.

Mark Abatuno, a member of the Chamber Board of Directors, and Robin Flint, the organization's administrator, at the check-in table.

State Senate candidate Patrick O'Connor (in suit) with a contingent of Hull signholders. At left is Bob DeCoste, O'Connor's Hull coordinator.

L to R: Interim Town Clerk Lori West, Senate candidate Joan Meschino, Selectman John Reilly, who are all running in today's election.

Anne Margaret Gould MacEachern, who is seeking reelection to the Hull Housing Authority.

Hull Housing Authority candidate Jim Richman and his wife, Gail.

Town Clerk candidate Pamela Sinton-Coffman addressed the crowd.

School Committeeman Dave Twombly is running for a third term on the board.

Jennifer Fleming [L], who is making her first bid for the school committee, and Jen Olivieri, one of the organizers for Move Hull Forward, which supports the debt-exclusion ballot question.

At center, Kimberly McNeil-Downs, candidate for school committee.

School committee candidate Susan Habchy listens to a question.

Selectman candidate Steve Forcum is one of the founders of ACT, the Association of Concerned Townspeople.

Planning board Chairman Jennifer Constable is looking to move to the board of selectmen.

John Brannan [R], candidate for reelection to the board of selecmen, and his wife, Lita, speak with a voter. 

Daniel Ciccariello is unopposed in his reelection campaign for Hull Municipal Light Board.

John 'Doc' Silva said he emerged from retirement to run for town moderator.

2015 Town and Schools Salaries Reports Online

The 2015 salaries reports for all town employees are included in the Annual Report booklet that voters can pick up at annual town meeting.

We’ve posted the reports online so that residents can consult the information while they're doing their pre-town-meeting research. Click either button below to download the files.

STATE SENATE PRIMARY ELECTION TODAY

The primary election to determine who will be the Democratic and Republican nominees to succeed longtime state senator Robert Hedlund is today. 
The Democratic candidates are Joan Meschino, a former Hull selectman, and current Hingham Selectman Paul Gannon.
On the Republican side, the candidates are former Hull resident Stephen Gill, who is now a Scituate attorney, and former Hedlund legislative director Patrick O'Connor, who is also Weymouth's council president. 
Polls at the Memorial School on Central Avenue are open until 8 p.m.