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Taxes on legal marijuana sales start to add up for Oklahoma City

William Crum
by William Crum
Published: Wed, May 8, 2019 6:56 AM Updated: Wed, May 15, 2019 3:28 PM
A tiny but growing source of Oklahoma City sales tax revenue is marijuana-related business. Marijuana transactions have brought in more than $180,000 since last fall.
A tiny but growing source of Oklahoma City sales tax revenue is marijuana-related business. Marijuana transactions have brought in more than $180,000 since last fall.


Oklahoma City has received about $180,200 in sales taxes on marijuana transactions since medical marijuana was legalized last year.

Marijuana-related sales tax revenue has increased each month since the first receipts came in last October. 

The total is a fraction of retail activity, though.

The $66,436.73 received in April was about 0.2% of city sales tax collections for that month, said Bob Ponkilla, the city treasurer.

Figures for May are not yet available.

Overall, sales tax revenue is up 1.5% for May.

May sales tax results were reported Friday and are based on collections the last two weeks of March and first two weeks of April. 

May's results were in line with projections. 

With one month left in the fiscal year, general fund sales tax revenue is 0.2% above the budget target, for a total of $234.7 million.

Budget officials are projecting 2% growth in sales tax revenue for the 2019-20 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

The city council votes June 4 on adopting the 2019-20 budget.



Related Photos
A tiny but growing source of Oklahoma City sales tax revenue is marijuana-related business. Marijuana transactions have brought in more than $180,000 since last fall.

A tiny but growing source of Oklahoma City sales tax revenue is marijuana-related business. Marijuana transactions have brought in more than $180,000 since last fall.

FILE- In this Nov. 7, 2018 file photo, an attendant weighs marijuana at the Far West Holistic Center dispensary, in Detroit. A Michigan Court of Appeals ruling could reinforce zero-tolerance workplace rules for marijuana even in cases in which a person has a medical marijuana card. The Detroit Free Press reports a ruling on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019, came in a lawsuit brought by Angela Eplee of Dimondale, who had said that the Lansing Board of Water and Light rescinded a 2017 job offer after she tested positive for marijuana even though she had a medical marijuana card. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)
<figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-d45c70af60029d16e3299bb3e389b21e.jpg" alt="Photo - A tiny but growing source of Oklahoma City sales tax revenue is marijuana-related business. Marijuana transactions have brought in more than $180,000 since last fall." title="A tiny but growing source of Oklahoma City sales tax revenue is marijuana-related business. Marijuana transactions have brought in more than $180,000 since last fall."><figcaption>A tiny but growing source of Oklahoma City sales tax revenue is marijuana-related business. Marijuana transactions have brought in more than $180,000 since last fall.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-dec6fa20ab7f0b2d558dfadba41a9c75.jpg" alt="Photo - FILE- In this Nov. 7, 2018 file photo, an attendant weighs marijuana at the Far West Holistic Center dispensary, in Detroit. A Michigan Court of Appeals ruling could reinforce zero-tolerance workplace rules for marijuana even in cases in which a person has a medical marijuana card. The Detroit Free Press reports a ruling on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019, came in a lawsuit brought by Angela Eplee of Dimondale, who had said that the Lansing Board of Water and Light rescinded a 2017 job offer after she tested positive for marijuana even though she had a medical marijuana card. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)" title="FILE- In this Nov. 7, 2018 file photo, an attendant weighs marijuana at the Far West Holistic Center dispensary, in Detroit. A Michigan Court of Appeals ruling could reinforce zero-tolerance workplace rules for marijuana even in cases in which a person has a medical marijuana card. The Detroit Free Press reports a ruling on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019, came in a lawsuit brought by Angela Eplee of Dimondale, who had said that the Lansing Board of Water and Light rescinded a 2017 job offer after she tested positive for marijuana even though she had a medical marijuana card. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)"><figcaption>FILE- In this Nov. 7, 2018 file photo, an attendant weighs marijuana at the Far West Holistic Center dispensary, in Detroit. A Michigan Court of Appeals ruling could reinforce zero-tolerance workplace rules for marijuana even in cases in which a person has a medical marijuana card. The Detroit Free Press reports a ruling on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019, came in a lawsuit brought by Angela Eplee of Dimondale, who had said that the Lansing Board of Water and Light rescinded a 2017 job offer after she tested positive for marijuana even though she had a medical marijuana card. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)</figcaption></figure>
William Crum

OU and Norman High School graduate, formerly worked as a reporter and editor for the Associated Press, the Star Tribune in Minneapolis, and the Norman Transcript. Married, two children, lives in Norman. Read more ›

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