Massachusetts Lawmakers Want to Reduce Plant Limit, Raise Marijuana Taxes
BOSTON, MA Lawmakers in Massachusetts are considering big changes for a voter-approved law that legalizes marijuana in the Bay State, including an increase in tax on retail marijuana sales and a reduction in plant limits on personal home grows.
Following decades of inaction on similar bills in the state legislature, voters in Massachusetts approved Question 4 in November,legalizing marijuana for adults.
Some provisions in the new law took effect in December, including personal possession and cultivation of up to six plants per adult, with a limit of 12 plants per household. Soon after, however, lawmakersbegan tinkering with the new law, using a sparsely attended informal legislative session to pass a bill delaying other aspects of Question 4 by six months. That bill was signed into law by anti-pot Republican Governor Charlie Baker just days later.
Now, the reason for the six month delay is clear: Lawmakers want to usethe time to gut key provisions in the legalization law that could impact the effectiveness of the law. Marijuana reform advocates worry this could lead to a continued thriving black market.
Under the measure, which was approved by 54 percent of voters on election day, home cultivation is allowed by adults, but is limited to six plants per adult or a total of 12 plants per household.
But according toSenate President Stanley Rosenberg, the legislature is considering reducing those plant limits.
Its legal now to have 12 plants in your home, but the advocates understand that this is likely to be debated in the process, Rosenberg said Tuesday, speaking on WCAP radio.
Rosenberg claims that 12 plants could yield enough pot to roll 30 joints per day.
According to the people who know a lot more about this than I do, they say that for someone who knows how to truly grow these plants and once you master it which is not all that hard 12 plants would produce about 30 marijuana cigarettes a day, Rosenberg said. I mean its just its a very large quantity to have in your home at any given time.
Jim Borghesani, spokesperson for the Yes on 4campaign,disagrees, saying that reducing the number of plants adults are allowed to grow at homewould be a huge mistake.
I think it would clearly disrespect the will of the voters, Borghesani says.The voters were well aware of the at-home grow limit that was in the initiative and they voted for it by a very solid margin. Our home-grow limit is more restrictive than Colorados and the Legislature should not take any action based on no data that I can see, whatsoever, to justify such a move.
While an experienced, talented grower could see yields of four ounces or more per plant every few months, most home growsproduce much more modest yields as home cultivation is more of a hobby than a career. And thats if theyre lucky, says Peter Bernard, president of the Massachusetts Growers Advocacy Council.
Most of the people who are going to try this are going to try and fail. Those who do succeed will average about two ounces a plant, and it takes about six months to grow beginning to end, Bernard says. If people think 12 plants will fuel a criminal enterprise sure, they maybe could make a few bucks off friends and family but its just not realistic. Twelve per household is not unreasonable.
Lawmakers are also reportedly considering a significant increase in taxes imposed on ...
