Marijuana dispensers welcome ruling they must pay taxes

They might be the only businesses in Colorado begging for their products to be taxed.

But a number of medical-marijuana dispensaries say taxation is critical for their industry's long-term health, and many say they've been collecting sales taxes for months — before a legal opinion issued Monday saying their products are taxable.

After the opinion from Attorney General John Suthers, medical-marijuana dispensaries could be facing penalties for not collecting sales taxes that could include fines and, ultimately, seizure.

Mark Couch, a spokesman for the Colorado Department of Revenue, said agency officials met Monday to discuss sending a letter to dispensaries statewide to inform them about paying the state's 2.9 percent sales tax.

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