A Missouri House committee on Thursday narrowly approved a GOP-led bill to tax and regulate adult-use marijuana in the state. The legislation from Rep. Ron Hicks (R), titled the “Cannabis Freedom Act,” cleared the House Public Safety Committee in a 5-4 vote, with amendments. It now heads to the Rules Committee before it could potentially advance to the floor. Besides legalizing possession and sale of cannabis, the bill would further provide opportunities for expungements, authorize social consumption facilities and permit cannabis businesses to claim tax deductions with the state. While advocates had hoped that the panel would advance the bill without revisions, members ultimately adopted three amendments. The changes concern licensing caps, regulatory authority over the cannabis market and a proposal described by one lobbyist as a “poison pill” that imposes restrictions on who would qualify for equity benefits. Hicks told Marijuana Moment in a phone interview on Thursday that he’s “disappointed” by the committee amendments, particularly a change pushed by Rep. Nick Schroer (R) that the sponsor said represents a “poison pill” that’s already causing cosponsors of the original bill to pull back. The revision unnecessarily plays into partisan divides over rights for transgender people, Hicks said.
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 03/31/2022 17:01:00