Democrats within the Iowa Senate are proposing a constitutional modification to legalize leisure marijuana, they usually launched the textual content of the modification Wednesday.
It could make the possession, development, consumption and sale of hashish authorized for Iowans age 21 and older, and leisure marijuana can be regulated by the state alcoholic drinks division. The state may tax hashish merchandise at a most price of 20 %, and native governments may tax them at a most price of two %.
Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa Metropolis, stated Iowa is shedding jobs and income to states that legalized marijuana.
“Iowans need these jobs and financial growth from regulating marijuana like alcohol, particularly jobs that it’ll deliver to rural Iowa,” Bolkcom stated. “We’re proposing this constitutional modification for voters to determine as a result of Republicans have repeatedly refused to interact in any significant debate about marijuana reform.”
If the Iowa Legislature approves the language twice, the proposed modification will go on the poll for Iowa voters to determine. However high Republicans who management the statehouse stated Tuesday they’re not planning to advance it.
And final month, Senate Majority Chief Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, stated he’s not anticipating any modifications to marijuana coverage this 12 months.
“I don’t envision any modifications taking place…both going to leisure or altering the medical,” Whitver stated. “However, you realize, if there’s those that have payments or concepts, we’re definitely open to modifications to the medical marijuana program. At this level, I don’t see us transferring to a leisure state.”
Iowa has a medical marijuana program that places strict limits on how a lot THC sufferers can entry. And state legislation says there can’t be greater than 5 dispensaries in Iowa.
Gov. Kim Reynolds, who has opposed efforts to develop that program, wouldn’t be concerned within the constitutional modification course of.
Sen. Janet Petersen, D-Des Moines, pointed to a Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll from final spring that discovered greater than half of Iowa adults favored legalizing marijuana for leisure use.
“We consider in Iowans and giving them the liberty to vote on transferring our state ahead with safer drug insurance policies,” Petersen stated. “We’ve chosen to maneuver ahead with a constitutional modification that takes the dialog to the individuals of Iowa.”
Iowa’s legislative session is scheduled to start Jan. 10.
window.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init({
appId : '666847704205807',
xfbml : true, version : 'v2.9' }); };
(function(d, s, id){
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;}
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = "https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js";
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));
Source link
