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SALT LAKE CITY
Becoming one of the 10 approved medical marijuana growers in Utah in the new state program will not be cheap.
The Salt Lake Tribune announced that the state plans to charge an application fee of US $ 10,000 as well as an additional annual license fee of US $ 100,000 for selected individuals, in accordance with the preliminary rules of the New medical marijuana program from Utah released last week.
State officials said the license fees were intended to offset expenses related to the addition of personnel and equipment to inspect growing facilities.
If the 10 producer licenses are granted, the revenues of the Department of Agriculture could reach $ 1.1 million in the first year and be around $ 1 million in the following years, with farmers paying the renewal fee.
The state's agriculture department plans to spend more than $ 560,000 a year to oversee the cultivation of cannabis and the sale of plants. State officials predict that these costs will likely increase over time.
Medical marijuana advocates claim that the proposed cost of becoming a producer is high, but should not deter serious people from entering the business.
The draft rules also establish detailed guidelines on safety, the use of pesticides, cannabis waste and other issues affecting producers. According to the rules, farmers must grind leaves and trimmings and mix them with garbage to make cannabis useless and install video surveillance.
Tom Paskett, executive director of the Utah Cannabis Association, said the proposals were not surprising.
"It's a bit what you expect, given the political tendencies of Utah," he said. "I've heard people compare some of our regulations to those in Arizona with respect to their restrictive nature, so it's accurate to know where you expect the company to be." Utah arrives. "
Agriculture officials will accept public comments on the project in the coming weeks and will hold a public hearing on the proposed rules on June 5th. The rules should be finalized in months.
The state is preparing to launch the marijuana program for medical purposes later this year. Legislative leaders, church officials, and proponents of the agreement signed a medical marijuana agreement earlier this year, after voters had legalized marijuana for medical purposes. It prohibits many marijuana products, prevents people from growing marijuana when they live away from a clinic and reduces the number of health problems that can lead to a pot treatment.
A lawsuit filed by two medical marijuana advocacy groups still pending in federal court states that it was unconstitutional to replace a law pbaded by voters and raises the question of whether the amendments are contrary to federal laws that maintain always marijuana as illegal.
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