Alaska’s marijuana revenue was up in July

Alaska's marijuana revenue increased again in July, according to the Alaska Department of Revenue's tax division.

A total of $577,901 in taxes was collected, according to Kelly Mazzei, excise tax supervisor for the tax division. That number may decrease by around $8,000 after amended returns are filed, she wrote in an email.

Under Alaska law, growers pay the state's tax. Bud is taxed at $50 per ounce, and other parts of the plant, like the stems and leaves, are taxed at $15 per ounce.

Forty-six growers paid taxes on 612 pounds of bud and 369 pounds of trim, made of the leaves and stalks, Mazzei wrote.

With 12 growers, Fairbanks continues to have the most cultivation facilities. Seven growers were in Anchorage, and four were in Soldotna. Juneau, Kasilof and Kenai all had three growers, and the rest were scattered around Southcentral and Southeast Alaska.

June was the first month that topped $500,000 in revenue, a large increase from the months prior; in May, around $272,000 in revenue came in from commercial cannabis.

Since sales began in October, the state has collected $2,323,668. August will likely top $700,000 in revenue, Mazzei wrote.

"I do not think that any outdoor grows are included in these numbers, but it shouldn't be much longer before we start seeing those crops make their way to market," Mazzei wrote.

Half of the tax revenue will go to the state's general fund. The other half has been appropriated to programs aimed at reducing repeat criminal offenders.

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