Once a month, Anita Garcia meets individually with the marijuana retailers of Colorado’s Pueblo County to collect the local taxes from the booming, new legalized drug business.
The first-ever marijuana licensing specialist for the county, located south of Denver, books a courthouse conference room for the legal transaction, which is monitored by a security guard and her supervisor.
“It’s pretty simple,” said Garcia about the formal get-togethers. “The longest part is counting [the cash]… If they’re coming in with $20 bills that can take a while.”
Most retailers show up with wads of cash, a quirk of the budding trade because banks won’t open accounts for them. They fear prosecution since selling pot is still a federal crime even as some states begin to decriminalize it.
Amber Hildebrandt – CBC News – Apr 20, 2014.