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Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill to reallocate marijuana tax revenue clears Senate vote
David Burr demonstrates removing leaves on marijuana plants to allow more light for growth at Essence Vegas' 54,000-square-foot marijuana cultivation facility on July 6, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller | Getty Images) The Montana Senate on Thursday advanced a measure to change what programs receive more than $60 million in funding from recreational marijuana tax revenue. Senate Majority Leader Tom McGillvray, R-Billings, is carrying Senate Bill 307 to shift marijuana tax revenue away from Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks programs, and bolster marijuana prevention and enforcement operations. McGillvray framed the bill as a 'simple' policy choice, and asked legislators whether they care more about children and those impacted by marijuana, or wildlife habitat. 'I would submit to you that the deer, the elk, the ducks, the geese are all doing pretty good in Montana,' McGillvray said, adding that FWP has 'buckets' of money they could spend. 'I'm asking (us) to prioritize the babies, the moms, the teenagers, the children, the adults that are addicted to this and need a way out,' he said. But opponents said that the funding was allocated for FWP programs for a reason, and that if the Legislature wants to address prevention efforts, they should tackle that separately. Sen. Sara Novak, D-Anaconda, served on the Business and Labor Committee during the 2021 session, when recreational marijuana was legalized with support from conservation groups counting on some of the revenue. 'We worked very hard on a big piece of legislation that put all the guiderails around the legalization of marijuana, and it included the allocation of revenue sources,' Novak said. 'I do wholeheartedly think we need to take a hard look at prevention, education, treatment, the crime that goes along with all of that and the whole trickle effect, I just don't think that this bill is the way to go about doing that.' SB 307 had a lengthy hearing before the Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee, where many drug prevention specialists and law enforcement representatives spoke in favor of the bill, but were outnumbered by more than 20 opponents representing conservation groups. FWP director Christy Clark also testified in opposition, citing several programs that would be 'virtually eliminated' without the funding, including a wildlife tracking system for birds and bats and funding for endangered and threatened species. She also told the committee the state park funding has allowed FWP to catch up on a 'major backlog' of maintenance programs, including 55 separate projects since 2021. McGillvray's bill was amended to remove several provisions including funding a marijuana prevention account and suicide prevention grant program, and creating a marijuana accountability council. It also added back in funding for veterans and the board of crime control that the bill originally stripped out. Now, the bill will allocate 26% of revenue to the Healing and Ending Addiction through Recovery and Treatment Fund, 4% to a new marijuana law enforcement account, small portions to veterans and the board of crime control, and the remainder to the general fund. By comparison, the bill would more than double the dollars going to the HEART fund, which originally allocated the first $6 million of annual revenue from marijuana, currently an estimated $60 million. Senators in favor of the bill spoke about the problems seen with higher potency THC products and the need to prioritize treatment programs and enforcement. Sen. Mike Yakawich, R-Billings, said that he had smoked marijuana for two years in the 1970s and subsequently had health issues he attributed to the drug use, so he understood the detrimental effects, and cautioned against use. But ultimately, he said, this isn't a bill about marijuana, it's a bill about money. 'I'd like to call it a wise use of THC money,' he said. 'This is a wise allocation of money. It's creative. It's innovative. Four years, five years from now, if people say 'Yakawich, you did a poor job with that bill, and we need to fix it,' well that's what we do as legislators.' In a similar vein but on the opposite side, Sen. Emma Kerr-Carpenter, D-Billings, reminded the body that they weren't discussing THC levels, detrimental medical effects of the drug, or regulating the industry — the bill is simply about funding. 'We have the good sponsor taking revenue that we allocated a couple sessions ago that goes to a purpose for conservation of public lands, and instead takes it and diverts it over into mental health care and substance use prevention. And my question is, why can't we do both at the same time?' Kerr-Carpenter said. 'We do not have to take from one to do the other. We don't have to choose.' McGillvray reemphasized that he believes FWP is 'flush with cash' — despite some specific 'flush' accounts he referenced having limitations for spending — and that they don't need to take in marijuana revenue. 'We don't use revenue from gas taxes to deal with Medicaid or health concerns, we use it for roads and bridges and stuff of that nature,' he said. 'If you use revenue for marijuana to deal with the harms of marijuana, it's what we do and how we logically allocate revenue.' The bill passed the Senate 30-20, with two Republicans joining all Democrats in opposition. SB 307 will have a hearing before the Senate Finance and Claims committee on March 24, and the full Senate will vote one more time on the measure.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Idaho Senate signs off on proposed anti-marijuana constitutional amendment
In this file photo, David Burr displays the bud on a growing marijuana plant at Essence Vegas' 54,000-square-foot marijuana cultivation facility on July 6, 2017, in Nevada. On July 1, 2017, Nevada joined other states allowing recreational marijuana sales. In fiscal year 2023, sales of cannabis products in Nevada generated more than $10.6 million in tax revenue. () The Idaho Senate signed off on a proposed amendment to the Idaho Constitution on Tuesday that, if approved, would make it so that only the Idaho Legislature has the power to legalize marijuana and other narcotics. House Joint Memorial 4 puts the proposed amendment to the Idaho Constitution up for a vote in Idaho's November 2026 general election. If a majority of voters pass the amendment, Idaho voters would no longer have the power to legalize marijuana through a citizen's ballot initiative. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The proposed amendment that will go before Idaho voters states: 'Shall Section 26, Article III of the Constitution of the State of Idaho be amended to provide that only the Idaho Legislature shall have power and authority to legalize the growing, producing, manufacturing, transporting, selling, delivering, dispensing, administering, prescribing, distributing, possessing, or using of marijuana, narcotics, or other psychoactive substances?' Sen. Scott Grow, R-Eagle, co-sponsored the proposed amendment. He and other supporters said it is a way to be tough on marijuana and differentiate Idaho from the majority of surrounding states that have legalized either recreational cannabis or medical cannabis. CONTACT US Grow also said advancing the proposed amendment was a way for the Idaho Legislature to exert its authority on the subject of cannabis and other drugs. 'Too many legislatures across this nation have sat back and just waited as initiative after initiative would come after them, until they finally overwhelm it and overwhelm the legislature,' Grow said. 'We are acting because that's our responsibility.' Grow also cited an existing section of the Idaho Constitution that states, 'The first concern of all good government is the virtue and sobriety of the people, and the purity of the home. The legislature should further all wise and well directed efforts for the promotion of temperance and morality.' However, opponents said the proposed amendment shows a distrust in voters by asking them to give up their own powers available through the ballot initiative process. In Idaho, a ballot initiative is a form of direct democracy where the voters of Idaho – not the Idaho Legislature – decide whether to pass a proposed law. 'The people have a right under the initiative and the referendum process to weigh in on these issues,' Sen. James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, said. 'We have been clear in the Constitution that all political power is inherent in the people, and we have been clear that the people reserve to themselves the power to propose laws and enact the same at the polls independent of the Legislature. We should respect the people.' Organizers have routinely attempted to gather signatures over the past 10 years attempting to place a medical marijuana or decriminalization initiative on the ballots, but have failed to meet the threshold to qualify their initiative for an election. Organizers are currently attempting to qualify an initiative to decriminalize marijuana for the November 2026 election. As for the proposed anti-marijuana amendment to the Idaho Constitution, it takes a two-thirds supermajority of both the Idaho House of Representatives and Idaho Senate to advance a proposed amendment to the Idaho Constitution. The Idaho Senate voted 29-6 to pass the amendment Tuesday afternoon. The Idaho House previously voted 58-10 to approve the amendment on March 5. When it goes before voters in November 2026, it will take a simple majority of voters to approve the amendment to the Idaho Constitution. This is the second major piece of anti-marijuana legislation the Idaho Legislature has put forward in 2025. On Feb. 24, Gov. Brad Little signed a new law creating a mandatory minimum fine of $300 for anyone convicted of simple marijuana possession. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
