Massachusetts Legislature Reaches Marijuana Regulation Compromise
A supporter holds up a "Yes on 4" sign at the 2016 Boston Freedom Rally (Scott Gacek/The Daily Chronic)
BOSTON, MA After weeks of talks and missed deadlines, legislators in Massachusetts have reached an agreement on legislation that will make changes to Question 4, the law to regulate marijuana for adults that was approved by voters in November 2016.
After weeks of intense advocacy from Massachusetts voters, legislators have decided to respect the will of the people, said Matthew Schweich, director of state campaigns for the Marijuana Policy Project and one of the leaders of the 2016 campaign. We are relieved that the legislature has dropped the Houses repeal and replace bill introduced last month, which would have made damaging changes to the law.
The compromise bills most significant changes relate to local control and taxes. The legislation adjusts the local control policy, allowing local government officials in towns that voted no on the 2016 ballot initiative to ban marijuana businesses until December 2019. For towns that voted yes in 2016, any bans must be placed on a local ballot for voters to approve.
The maximum sales tax rate (which depends on whether towns adopt optional local taxes) will increase from 12% to 20%. Under the bill, the state tax will be 17% and the local option will be 3%.
The law passed by voters was well-crafted and required no alteration, said Schweich. However, we respect the need for compromise, and while we dont approve of every provision of this bill, we are satisfied that the outcome will serve the interests of Massachusetts residents and allow the Commonwealth to displace the unregulated marijuana market with a system of taxation and regulation.
Last month, the House and Senate passed very different implementation bills before beginning negotiations to resolve their differences.
Massachusetts residents made over 1,000 telephone calls to their lawmakers urging rejection of the House approach, while advocacy organizations put additional pressure on the legislature.
We commend the Senate for holding the line on a number of important issues, said Jim Borghesani, spokesperson for the 2016 Yes on 4 campaign and the subsequent advocacy effort ...
