ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – Voters in several municipalities of St. Louis County could approve new marijuana sales taxes in Tuesday’s municipal elections.

Recreational marijuana sales became legal last year in Missouri. The law paving the way to that allows counties and municipalities to enact separate 3% sales taxes on marijuana purchases, in addition to the state’s 6% sales tax on recreational marijuana.

Forecast: Rounds of severe weather Monday near St. Louis

St. Louis County enacted a 3% sales tax last year, and many of its municipalities followed suit with an additional 3% sales tax. In Tuesday’s upcoming election, there are still some municipal marijuana sales taxes to be determined.

According to St. Louis County’s April 2024 sample ballots, marijuana ballot propositions will appear for voters in six county municipalities in the form of four uniquely-worded questions. They will be presented as “Proposition M.” In all cases, voters can vote “yes” or “no.”

Question 1

Shall the City of _______ be authorized to impose an additional sales tax for the
limited purpose of public safety in an amount not to exceed three percent on all tangible
personal property retail sales of adult use marijuana sold in the City?

Applicable cities: Breckenridge Hills and Pagedale.

Two key phrases in this question are “tangible personal property retail sales” and “limited purpose of public safety.

The “tangible personal property retail sales” distinction means that a municipal tax would be imposed on all physical items related to the consumption or use of marijuana recreationally. The proposed tax for the eligible municipalities on such items would not exceed 3%. The ballot question also indicates that the collection of such a sales tax would be used to address public safety.

Question 2

Shall the City of ______ be authorized to impose an additional sales tax in an amount
not to exceed three percent on all tangible personal property retail sales of adult use
marijuana sold in the city?

Applicable cities: Cool Valley and Velda City.

Like the aforementioned ballot question, the “tangible personal property retail sales” distinction means that a municipal tax would be imposed on all physical items related to the consumption or use of marijuana recreationally. The proposed tax for the eligible municipalities on such items would not exceed 3%. The ballot question does not necessarily disclose how such a sales tax would be used.

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Question 3

Shall the City of Fenton, Missouri, impose an additional sales tax at a rate of three
percent (3.0%) on all retail sales of adult use marijuana sold within the City?

Applicable city: Fenton.

The key phrase in this question is “all retail sales of adult use marijuana.”

This term would encompass a wider range of transactions beyond tangible products related to marijuana as indicated in the previous two questions. This could mean a 3% sales tax imposed on various services, digital or non-physical, related to the recreational marijuana industry. The ballot question does not necessarily disclose how such a sales tax would be used.

Question 4

Shall the City of Winchester be authorized to impose a local sales tax upon the sale of
adult use marijuana in an amount not to exceed three percent provided that, if the rate is
reduced or raised by voter approval, the local sales tax shall be reduced or raised by the
same amount.

Applicable city: Winchester.

Unlike the previous three questions, this one does not specifically state tangible goods or all retails sales related to recreational marijuana. Anything deemed a transaction of selling recreational marijuana, however, would be eligible for a 3% sales tax. The ballot question also clarifies that for future tax rate changes, reduced or raise, the local sales taxes would change by the same amount.

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