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A key lawmaker is proposing changes to Washington's new law legalizing marijuana, saying the state can squeeze a lot more money out of people who want to participate in the recreational pot marketplace.
Rep. Christopher Hurst, an Enumclaw Democrat who leads the House committee that oversees cannabis, said Tuesday the state will be leaving "money on the table" unless it increases the fees required to obtain a license to grow, process or sell marijuana.
Initiative 502, passed by voters last fall, legalized the possession and private use of cannabis by adults 21 and over, and called for the state to set up a marijuana distribution system. Voters in Colorado passed a similar measure.
Hurst introduced a bill Tuesday that would amend the law by creating a new "certificate" to be issued by the Liquor Control Board, which is setting rules for the industry, as a precursor to obtaining a license. It would require the board to set the price of the certificate at no less than fair market value. It's unclear what fair market value would be, he said, but he estimated it could range from $1,000 in a rural town like Forks to $250,000 in downtown Bellevue – perhaps $50 million or more in additional state revenue this year.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: seattlepi.com
Author: Gene Johnson
Contact: Contact the staff of seattlepi.com - seattlepi.com
Website: Wash. lawmaker pushes amendments to legal pot law - seattlepi.com
Rep. Christopher Hurst, an Enumclaw Democrat who leads the House committee that oversees cannabis, said Tuesday the state will be leaving "money on the table" unless it increases the fees required to obtain a license to grow, process or sell marijuana.
Initiative 502, passed by voters last fall, legalized the possession and private use of cannabis by adults 21 and over, and called for the state to set up a marijuana distribution system. Voters in Colorado passed a similar measure.
Hurst introduced a bill Tuesday that would amend the law by creating a new "certificate" to be issued by the Liquor Control Board, which is setting rules for the industry, as a precursor to obtaining a license. It would require the board to set the price of the certificate at no less than fair market value. It's unclear what fair market value would be, he said, but he estimated it could range from $1,000 in a rural town like Forks to $250,000 in downtown Bellevue – perhaps $50 million or more in additional state revenue this year.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: seattlepi.com
Author: Gene Johnson
Contact: Contact the staff of seattlepi.com - seattlepi.com
Website: Wash. lawmaker pushes amendments to legal pot law - seattlepi.com
