"It’s encouraging to see that legislators appear to be approaching this bill with the sense of urgency it deserves. Vermont can’t afford to miss out on the new businesses, jobs, and revenue that will be created if S. 54 becomes law," said Matt Simon, MPP's New England political director.
"There is no clear indication that a cannabis reform ballot initiative helps one party or the other," said Matthew Schweich, deputy director of Marijuana Policy Project.
"Support for marijuana policy reform has increased significantly in every part of the county and 11 states have adopted adult-use legalization laws — and they’re working well. No state has made a serious attempt to repeal those laws. We also have recent internal polling of South Dakotans that suggests we have a great shot at passing both initiatives," said Jared Moffat, MPP's campaigns coordinator.
"This is great news for Montana voters who will now have the opportunity to enact a marijuana legalization policy that will create jobs, generate revenue and allow law enforcement to focus on real crime," said Matthew Schweich, MPP's deputy director.
"South Dakota’s current marijuana laws aren’t working, and they are not serving South Dakotans’ best interests. Amendment A and Measure 26 will fix what’s broken and establish a commonsense approach that provides relief to patients, improves public safety, and strengthens South Dakota’s economy," said Jared Moffat, MPP's campaigns coordinator.
"The reasons for [setting up the market] have only gotten stronger. There is a need to get jobs and tax revenue right away. There should be a sense of urgency to do this," said MPP New England Political Director Matt Simon.
A marijuana reform advocate, Murphy [of the Marijuana Policy Project] said he will miss being able to “mix and mingle with senators and members of Congress who I work with on Capitol Hill.” In an interview, he said many people find it hard to reconcile his status as a Trump supporter and an advocate for legalized marijuana.
Karen O'Keefe, MPP's director of state policies, authored an op-ed on the West Hollywood City Council's move to ban smoked and vaporized cannabis in multi-unit housing.
Matt Simon, New England political director for the Marijuana Policy Project, said in a press release about the new economic analysis that, “Vermonters overwhelmingly supported the effort to regulate cannabis sales prior to COVID-19, and the sense of urgency has only increased in light of the economic downturn.”
While cannabis is already legal in the Green Mountain State, Vermont will not collect new revenue without a system for taxation and regulated sales. Moreover, the state is facing over $570 million in pandemic-related budget losses through fiscal year 2021, and without federal support and new sources of revenue, community services will likely be reduced. If S.54 were to pass this year — and revisions are made to allow cannabis produced by existing hemp cultivators and medical dispensaries to be sold for adult use beginning in 2021 — this analysis projects the ability to generate over $175 million in cannabis sales taxes through 2025.