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TrippyStoner420 said:
1 pound

whats the chances of this passing?

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summary

This bill reforms state marijuana laws by establishing a special tax rate for marijuana, legalizing the personal use and cultivation of marijuana, legalizing and licensing certain commercial marijuana-related activities, while providing provisions to protect minors, employers and schools, and removing the registry system from the Maine Medical Use of Marijuana Act.

Part A of the bill establishes a tax rate of 7%, beginning January 1, 2012, for marijuana that is sold for commercial or medical purposes. It directs the State Controller to distribute the revenue generated by the tax equally among specific programs that benefit farmers, preserve land, assist law enforcement, provide aid to a state weatherization program and support higher education. It directs the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of Revenue Services to report annually, beginning January 30, 2013, the amount of tax revenue generated and the amount distributed to each program to the joint standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs and taxation matters. The bill directs the Bureau of Revenue Services to review methods for ensuring that all marijuana that is sold in the State is assessed and to report its findings and recommendations to the Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bureau must submit the report and any necessary legislation by November 1, 2011.

Part B of the bill allows a person 21 years of age or older to possess, purchase and use marijuana within certain limits and to cultivate a limited amount of marijuana for personal use. It allows a person to possess up to one pound of marijuana, possess marijuana paraphernalia and an incidental amount of marijuana. It allows a person to cultivate and store marijuana for personal use within 75 square feet of space and to purchase up to 2 1/2 ounces of marijuana or seedlings from someone who is licensed to sell these products. The bill includes restrictions that impose the same limitations on use that apply to tobacco. It requires those cultivating marijuana to secure it from access by unauthorized persons and access by minors. It also provides protections for schools and employers.

It includes specific requirements for the operations of commercial marijuana-related activities regarding the location of operations, security measures and record keeping as well as requirements for the licensee such as residency for a year prior to applying for a license. It allows a licensee up to 2,000 square feet of space for commercial marijuana cultivation and allows a licensee to sell no more than 2 1/2 ounces to any one individual per week. It limits the number of licenses as determined by department rule in the first year and requires that provisional licenses be automatically granted for dispensaries and persons who are registered as primary caregivers on June 30, 2011. It provides a funding mechanism for regulation of commercial marijuana-related activities. It provides special protections for minors, employers and schools.

Part C of the bill establishes the Community Policing Grant Program within the Department of Public Safety, which is funded by part of the revenue generated from the marijuana tax, to assist county and municipal law enforcement with community policing efforts. The Commissioner of Public Safety shall adopt rules for administering the program by December 1, 2011.

Part D of the bill removes the patient and primary caregiver registry system from the Maine Medical Use of Marijuana Act and repeals the provision requiring written certification from a physician for the medical use of marijuana as part of this registry system. It also repeals the requirement for patients, primary caregivers and dispensaries to keep marijuana in an enclosed, locked facility. Instead, it requires that the marijuana be secured from unauthorized access or from access by a person under 21 years of age. It allows dispensaries to acquire prepared marijuana or marijuana plants from persons licensed to cultivate or sell marijuana commercially. It updates the confidentiality and reporting requirements in the law to reflect the removal of the registry.

Part E of the bill updates the existing exceptions regarding possession of marijuana for medical use in the Maine Criminal Code.

Part F of the bill amends the existing laws on industrial hemp to allow a person to apply to the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources for a license to grow industrial hemp. It removes provisions in the law that make licensing of industrial hemp farming contingent upon federal action. This Part also updates various provisions of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 7 and Title 22 that are affected by changes in terminology proposed to the Maine medical marijuana law in this bill.

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