Missouri Legislature to Propose Bill to Legalize, Tax and Regulate Marijuana Sales

The Missouri House and Senate are getting closer to reviewing a bill to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana sales similar to alcohol sales in the state of Missouri. Democrat Rep. Chris Kelly and State Sen. Jason Holsman of Kansas City are working in each chamber to get momentum going to gain votes on their respective floors.

The House bill is called HB 1659 was proposed yesterday (Jan. 29) and would restrict sales of marijuana to persons over 21. According to studies done by Harvard economist Professor Jeffery Miron, the bill could bring in $150,000,000 for the state.

This bill would be very similar to the Colorado law that passed last year. In addition to marijuana usage, the proposal would allow adults to cultivate a small number of plants for personal use.

HB 1659 still has a way to go before any vote will be taken, since House Speaker Tim Jones will have to give approval before it goes into a Committee and the same for the Missouri Senate. The Speaker would have to assign the bill to a committee, a chair would be elected, then the chair of that committee would have to have a public hearing on the matter and then schedule it for a vote. If the committee votes the bill in, the Bill would then go back to Speaker Tim Jones to present it on the House floor.

According to Dan Viets, Show-Me Cannabis Regulation Board Chair and criminal defense attorney, the organization Show-Me Cannabis is also working on canvasing registered voters to place this proposal to a vote of the people as early as November 2014 if the measure is not brought up in the House or Senate.

Would you support the legalization of marijuana in Missouri? Let us know in the comments.