While the governor and state legislators weigh the minimum wage bill, another pending piece of legislation moving forward in the state capitol would legalize the personal use of recreational marijuana for individuals who are 21 or older, though certain components of the proposed measure still need to be ironed out.
On Nov. 26, committees in the Senate and the Assembly each advanced a version of the marijuana legalization bill, S-2703/A-4497. The legislation would in part enable licenses for the production and sale of recreational marijuana and create the Cannabis Regulatory Commission, which would be granted certain oversight powers as part of the cannabis program.
Among the outstanding issues is the tax structure, according to Robert E. Schiappacasse of Sills Cummis & Gross PC, co-chair of the firm’s cannabis industry practice group. For example, the legislation would enable towns to collect a 2 percent tax on marijuana sales, but municipal officials have argued that 2 percent is not enough, he said.
A number of municipalities feel that “a 2 percent tax benefit to the municipality, where they are absorbing a significant amount of the burden when it comes to implementation, is ... not only not fair, but not going to be acceptable,” Schiappacasse said.