Cannabis activists lined up Tuesday to urge Missouri lawmakers to move quickly to fully legalize marijuana and derail a competing ballot initiative backed by existing medical marijuana businesses. The Cannabis Freedom Act, sponsored by Rep. Ron Hicks, R-Defiance, combines numerous marijuana-related bills into one but at its core legalizes possession and use of the drug for individuals 21 and older. Supporters said Missouri lawmakers should blunt momentum for Legal Missouri 2022, a campaign currently collecting signatures for the Nov. 8 ballot. That plan would give current medical marijuana businesses the first shot at full recreational sales and keep in place the state’s ability to limit licenses. Hicks, during a hearing of the House Public Safety Committee, cast his bill as the last best shot for lawmakers to weigh in on the topic before voters do so through a proposed change to the state constitution. Medical marijuana was approved in 2018 when Missouri voters approved a constitutional change. “I’m sure that every single one of you sitting here has received some type of an email,” Hicks said, “or has heard from somebody in this state about the rollout of that program, whether it was dishonest or not fair to someone.”
420 Intel – Marijuana Industry News, 03/08/2022 19:00:00