Will Maryland Marijuana Legalization Happen in 2018?
Maryland marijuana laws could receive a major overhaul in 2018, as lawmakers in the state eye the economic benefits of legalized recreational marijuana.
Colorado and Washington – where recreational marijuana is legal – brought in a combined $456 million in tax revenue for 2016, according to the Baltimore Sun.
Not to miss out on the economic boom, lawmakers announced on Jan. 30 they were pushing for a pair of bills to make recreational marijuana use legal in Maryland.
Some of the legalization supporters want the General Assembly to legalize marijuana, while others want voters to decide.
Here's what the plan proposes:
Marijuana cultivators will pay $30 per ounce in excise tax
Sales of marijuana would be subject a 9% sales tax
Adults 21 and over can possess up to an ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants
Smoking marijuana in public would still be illegal
The tax revenue collected would go towards improving schools, job training, addiction treatment, and programs designed to combat driving under the influence.
Getting the issue on a ballot would need a three-fifths majority vote in both houses of the General Assembly, according to the Baltimore Sun.
Marijuana legalization and taxation bills would need a majority vote.
You see, the vote across America for marijuana legalization is expected to create one of the biggest wealth grabs in history, transforming everyday Americans into millionaires overnight.
Already, eight states have legalized recreational marijuana. Maryland could be ninth.
By Jack Delaney
Source: moneymorning.com
S
Soft Secrets