30 December 2020
{Voters|Citizens} in Missouri {could|might} {decide|choose} in 2022 whether to {legalize|legislate} {marijuana|cannabis} under {a plan|a strategy} prefiled {this week|today} in the state {House of Representatives|Legislature}. The {proposal|proposition} would {scrap|ditch} the state’s existing medical {cannabis|marijuana} law and {replace|change} it with {a simpler|an easier} system {meant|implied|indicated|suggested} to serve both {patients|clients} and adult {consumers|customers}.
{Republican|Republican Politician} Rep. Shamed Dogan {introduced|presented} the joint resolution Tuesday, ahead of the {new|brand-new} {legislative|legal} session set to {begin|start} next week. Both {the House|your home|your house} and Senate would {need|require} to {approve|authorize} the legislation for the legalization {question|concern} to go to {voters|citizens}.
“I {believe|think} in {free markets|free enterprises},” Dogan {told|informed} the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Tuesday, “and I {want to|wish to} {regulate|control|manage} {marijuana|cannabis} as {closely|carefully} as possible to the {regulations|policies|guidelines} we have on alcohol, tobacco and other {products|items}.”
The proposed constitutional {amendment|change|modification}, HJR 30, or the Smarter and Safer Missouri Act, would {legalize|legislate} {marijuana|cannabis} for {adults|grownups} 21 and over and {establish|develop} {a commercial|an industrial|a business} {cannabis|marijuana} {industry|market}, taxing sales at 12 percent. Unlike legal {marijuana|cannabis} programs in {most|many|a lot of|the majority of} other states, it would {require|need} no {special|unique} licensing “beyond that which {is applicable|applies} for the cultivating, {harvesting|gathering|collecting}, processing, {manufacturing|production}, {packaging|product packaging}, {distributing|dispersing}, {transferring|moving}, {displaying|showing}, or {possession|belongings|ownership} of any nontoxic food or {food product|food|foodstuff},” according to language of the joint resolution.
{Private|Personal} {marijuana|cannabis} {cultivation|growing} for {{personal|individual} or medical|medical or {personal|individual}} {use|usage} would {also|likewise} be {allowed|enabled|permitted} under the {proposal|proposition}, although the {amendment|change|modification} {provides|offers|supplies} no {details|information} on whether plant {limits|limitations} or other {restrictions|limitations|constraints} would {apply|use}.
{Advocates|Supporters} {attempted|tried} to {qualify|certify} a citizen-initiated legalization {measure|step|procedure} for last November’s election, {but|however} the COVID-19 pandemic scuttled the signature-gathering effort. They’re {widely|commonly|extensively} {expected|anticipated} to {attempt|try} to {qualify|certify} a 2022 {measure|step|procedure} that {could|might} {compete with|take on} Dogan’s {plan|strategy}.
{Revenue|Income|Profits|Earnings} from Dogan’s {proposed|suggested} system would go to {a new|a brand-new} state fund that would be {split|divided} {among|amongst} the Missouri Veterans Commission, state {infrastructure|facilities} {projects|jobs|tasks} and drug treatment programs.
Courts in the state would be {required|needed} to expunge all {civil and criminal|criminal and civil} records of “non-violent, marijuana-only offenses that are no longer {illegal|unlawful|prohibited}” within 60 days of the {amendment|change|modification}’s passage. {Law enforcement|Police} would be directed to {immediately|instantly|right away} {release|launch} {anyone|anybody} {incarcerated|jailed|put behind bars} for such offenses.
There is no {mention|reference} of social equity or minorities in the {proposal|proposition}, although Dogan, {for years|for many years|for several years} the only Black Republican in the state legislature, {noted|kept in mind} racial {disparities|variations} in {cannabis|marijuana} {law enforcement|police} in an {opinion|viewpoint} piece {published|released} {last year|in 2015}. By contrast, some other states {have|have actually} directed {revenue|income|profits|earnings} from legal {cannabis|marijuana} to {fund|money} {communities|neighborhoods} disproportionately {affected|impacted} by {prohibition|restriction} or {designed|developed|created} licensing systems {designed|developed|created} to {give|provide|offer} {priority|concern|top priority} to {people|individuals} from those {communities|neighborhoods}.
The Missouri {proposal|proposition} represents both an effort at criminal justice reform and a rejection of the state’s existing medical {marijuana|cannabis} program, which {voters|citizens} {approved|authorized} in 2018. The {opaque|nontransparent} scoring {process|procedure} for {awarding|granting} {business|company|service|organization} licenses under the system {has|has actually} drawn {lawsuits|suits|claims} by {applicants|candidates} {{denied|rejected} licenses and {sparked|stimulated|triggered}|{sparked|stimulated|triggered} and {denied|rejected} licenses} {controversy|debate} {among|amongst} {lawmakers|legislators}. {Earlier|Previously} this year, one Republican senator called the {process|procedure} “{one of|among} the {biggest|most significant|greatest} boondoggles I {have|have actually} seen in my {business|company|service|organization} life.”
The {first|very first} legal sales of medical {marijuana|cannabis} {began|started} in October, and licensing is still in its early {stages|phases}. {As of|Since} state numbers {released|launched} December 23, {just|simply} 20 dispensaries {have|have actually} been {approved|authorized} to {operate|run}, {despite|in spite of|regardless of} the law {allowing|enabling|permitting} {up to|as much as|approximately} 196 dispensary licenses to be {granted|given|approved}. {As for|When it comes to} {manufacturers|producers|makers}, {only|just} one {company|business} can {currently|presently} produce cannabis-infused {products|items} {legally|lawfully} in the state.
Critics {have|have actually} {complained|grumbled} that the existing licensing caps and scoring {process|procedure} have {unfairly|unjustly} {limited|restricted|minimal} {competition|competitors}, disadvantaged minority {applicants|candidates}, slowed the program’s rollout and {led to|resulted in|caused} {higher|greater} {prices|costs|rates} for {patients|clients}. They{‘ve| have actually} {also|likewise} {pointed out|explained|mentioned} that {millions of|countless} dollars in {revenue|income|profits|earnings} from the {fledgling|recently established|new} program {have|have actually} gone to cover legal {fees|charges|costs} {rather than|instead of} programs for veterans, as the law {intends|means|plans}. Regulators {have|have actually} countered that they{‘ve| have actually} {managed|handled} to {meet|satisfy|fulfill} constitutional {deadlines|due dates} {despite|in spite of|regardless of} {numerous|various|many} court {challenges|difficulties|obstacles} and procedural {obstacles|challenges|barriers}.
Dogan’s {new|brand-new} {plan|strategy} would {erase|remove|eliminate} the language of the 2018 constitutional {amendment|change|modification} in its {entirety|whole|totality}, including its licensing {process|procedure} and {limits|limitations} on the {number of|variety of} licenses {available|offered|readily available}. In his {comments|remarks} to the Post-Dispatch, Dogan called the {current|present|existing} system “{too {burdensome|troublesome|difficult|challenging} and too {bureaucratic|administrative|governmental}|too {bureaucratic|administrative|governmental} and too {burdensome|troublesome|difficult|challenging}}.”
“{People|Individuals} {might|may} {want to|wish to} {take the opportunity|seize the day} to have us take a leading {role|function} in this,” he {said|stated}, “and to craft something that’s not going to be {burdensome|troublesome|difficult|challenging}.”
Medical {marijuana|cannabis} would {remain|stay} legal under the proposed constitutional {amendment|change|modification}, with little {mention|reference} of how it would be {regulated|controlled|managed} or {distinguished|differentiated|identified} from {consumer|customer} {products|items}. A medical {marijuana|cannabis} {section|area} in the {amendment|change|modification} {says|states} the drug “{shall|will} be {available|offered|readily available} to {patients|clients}, who have {a physician|a doctor}’s {recommendation|suggestion} for its {use|usage}” {and that|which} {patients|clients} “{shall|will} be {afforded|paid for|managed} the {same|exact same|very same} rights and {privileges|benefits|opportunities|advantages} {afforded|paid for|managed} to any {patient|client} {treated|dealt with} through {conventional|traditional|standard} {therapeutic|restorative|healing} {means|ways|methods}, {regardless of|despite|no matter} whether the {person|individual} is under the care of {a physician|a doctor}.”
{Marijuana|Cannabis} {sold for|cost} medical {use|usage} would be taxed at {four|4} percent, the {same|exact same|very same} rate as {currently|presently} {applies|uses}.
Other {provisions|arrangements} in the {proposal|proposition} would {prevent|avoid} Missouri {police|authorities|cops} {agencies|companies|firms} or state {money|cash} from {assisting|helping} with federal {marijuana|cannabis} {prohibition|restriction} enforcement efforts, {attempt|effort} to {protect|safeguard|secure} {gun|weapon} owners’ right to bear arms and {ban|restriction} civil {asset|possession|property} {forfeiture|forfeit|loss} for {marijuana|cannabis} offenses.
“This {initiative|effort} will increase {personal|individual} {freedom|flexibility|liberty}, {allow|enable|permit} {law enforcement|police} to {focus on|concentrate on} violent {crime|criminal offense|criminal activity} {instead|rather} of nonviolent {marijuana|cannabis} users, and {provide|offer|supply} {revenue|income|profits|earnings} for {{infrastructure|facilities}, broadband, and drug|{infrastructure|facilities}, drug, and broadband|broadband, {infrastructure|facilities}, and drug|broadband, drug, and {infrastructure|facilities}|drug, {infrastructure|facilities}, and broadband|drug, broadband, and {infrastructure|facilities}} treatment,” Dogan {told|informed} Greenway. “I am {confident|positive} Missouri {voters|citizens} will support these commonsense {ideas|concepts} when they have the {opportunity|chance} to vote on adult {use|usage}.”
Dogan’s proposed constitutional {amendment|change|modification} {is one of|is among} a handful of cannabis-related {bills|expenses|costs} prefiled ahead of the coming {legislative|legal} session. Other {bills|expenses|costs} {include|consist of} {proposals|propositions} to criminalize the disclosure of medical {marijuana|cannabis} {patient|client} {information|info|details} to {unauthorized|unapproved} {parties|celebrations} (HB 198, HB 501), expunge {certain|specific|particular} low-level {cannabis|marijuana} offenses (HB 408, HB 546, SB 190), {prevent|avoid} adoption {agencies|companies|firms} from {discriminating against|victimizing} {patients|clients} who have medical {marijuana|cannabis} {recommendations|suggestions} or {work in|operate in} the {industry|market} (HB 485) and {expand|broaden} the {ability|capability} of {patients|clients} to {consume|take in} {cannabis|marijuana} in rental {housing|real estate} and other {lodging|accommodations} (HB 486).
{Two|2} other proposed {House|Home} {measures|steps|procedures} would {legalize|legislate} {marijuana|cannabis} through statute {rather than|instead of} {via|through|by means of} Dogan’s constitutional {amendment|change|modification} {approach|method|technique}: HB 263, sponsored by Rep. Peter Merideth (D), and HB 325, by Rep. Wiley {Price|Cost|Rate} IV (D).
{Similar|Comparable} {proposals|propositions} were {introduced|presented} in 2020 (HB 1978) and 2019 (HB 551).
{Earlier|Previously} this year, {the House|your home|your house} of Representatives {defeated|beat} {an amendment|a change|a modification} that would have {required|needed} {lawmakers|legislators} {consume|take in} a “{substantial|considerable|significant}” {amount|quantity} of {marijuana|cannabis} {before|prior to} voting on any legislation. Its sponsor {told|informed} {Marijuana|Cannabis} {Moment|Minute} the {plan|strategy} was {meant|implied|indicated|suggested} in jest to “get {everyone|everybody} to {chill out|relax} and get a little chuckle.”
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