States Joining the Marijuana Legalization Debate in Droves
The floodgates appear to be opening wide after residents of Colorado and Washington state decided to legalize marijuana. Rhode Island has recently introduced several bills to legalize and regulate marijuana. Hawaii representatives are set to have senate hearings on decriminalization next week and another eight states have pending legislation that could legalize medical marijuana.
Maine and Maryland have now also entered the debate. State representatives in Maine, Reps. Diane Russell and Aaron Libby have created the Tax and Regulate Marijuana Act. The intent of the bill is clear as marijuana would be regulated by the government and additional tax revenues would be collected. In Maryland a similar bill is being discussed. House Bill 1453 would permit up to one ounce of marijuana and possession of three plants for Maryland residents. Both bills would include a tax of 50$ per ounce of marijuana.
It is unclear if the bills will pass. Maine in particular seems to be a bit of a long shot at this time as the legislation must go through a number of votes. If lawmakers approve the bill, residents will vote on the measure in November. At first the process sounds easy enough but that is only half of what is required. If residents do approve the measure, state lawmakers once again will have vote yes. At this time the people would have to vote again on the measure in November of 2014. It will effectively require 2 years of debate and votes to get marijuana legalization approved in Maine.
These type of delays highlight the glacial pace that has become the norm in American governing. While less voting will be required in Maryland, it still seems legalizing marijuana during the current legislative atmosphere will be difficult. Both state Republicans and Democrats agree that passage of the bill is unlikely at this time. However, the conversation seems to be shifting from “if” to “when” and activists seem emboldened after tremendous victories in Colorado and Washington.
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