stLouISTWhat is the initiative and what will it do?
- Legalize adult-use marijuana: Allows Missourians 21 years and older to possess, purchase, consume and cultivate marijuana.
- Automatic expungement: Allows Missourians with nonviolent marijuana-related offenses to automatically expunge their criminal records (Similar programs in other states typically require those seeking to vacate convictions to first petition the courts, adding time and expenses).
- Boost state tax revenues: Levies 6% state tax on retail sales of marijuana. Beyond covering administrative expenses and the costs to process automatic expungements, any remaining surplus will be split equally between veterans’ healthcare, drug addiction treatment, and Missouri’s underfunded public defender system.
- Local taxes: Allows local governments to assess local sales taxes of up to 3%. State officials project additional annual revenue of at least $40.8 million and additional local government revenues of at least $13.8 million.
- New business licenses: Seeks to broaden industry participation by small business owners and among disadvantaged populations, including those with limited capital, residents of high-poverty communities, service-disabled veterans, and those previously convicted of non-violent marijuana offenses.
- Lottery: All new license holders will be selected at random, by lottery.
- Strengthens Missouri medical marijuana program: Extends amount of time that medical marijuana patient and caregiver ID cards are valid from one to three years while keeping that cost low ($25). And the current $100 fee for Missourians who choose to grow medical marijuana at home will be reduced by half, with the expiration period also extended from one to three years.
- Local control: Allows local communities to opt-out of adult-use retail marijuana sales through a vote of the people.