Assessor Revisits Grow, Dispensary Taxes

The Blaine County tax assessor’s office is in the process of recoding and reassessing the marijuana grows, processors and vendors of medical pot in the county.

Assessor Misty Kitson said Monday during the county commission meeting her office was compiling a book of locations in the county so the records are more easily accessible. In addition, the office is scrutinizing the methods previously used to assess the business and property taxes. Most of those operations will change to square foot assessment, since the locations are usually restricted entry and lean toward avoiding attention focused on their business.

Some operators object to on-site visits by the field deputies. To combat that stance, when the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics plan to make compliance visits, the field deputies will go along with those officers. Refusing OMMA or OBN entry to a grow or processor can result result in loss of licensing.

The coding is of utmost importance, too. Changing a structure from ‘greenhouse’ to medical marijuana grow usage can mean the difference of thousands of dollars in taxes collected. Kitson said some pot businesses have never paid taxes or never paid them properly. Some went out of business before tax filing was due, but she said that doesn’t let them off the hook for the green.

“We’re missing out on a lot of money,” Kitson said. Her plan is to change all that as soon as possible.