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Missourians can count on to have entry to leisure marijuana as quickly as February.
After voters’ approval on Tuesday of Modification 3, permitting anybody over the age of 21 to buy marijuana merchandise, Missouri’s Division of Well being and Senior Providers will start to transition enterprise licenses on Dec. 8. Companies already licensed to dispense medical marijuana will probably be transitioned to leisure license holders.
In River Bend, a city simply north of Independence, builders had been fast to announce plans for a brand new entertainment district that would allow open use of marijuana. The district will embody marriage ceremony venues, an amphitheater, eating places and golf equipment.
Comparable developments are unlikely in Kansas Metropolis, mentioned Mayor Quinton Lucas.
“To me the largest deal is how do you be sure you’re not truly creating issues which are akin to a pink mild district,” Lucas instructed KCUR.
As a substitute, Lucas mentioned, he sees Kansas Metropolis adopting a “cigar store” mentality — the place particular person venues and retailers determine their very own particular person use insurance policies. Lucas mentioned he needs to stop growth that may create “full marijuana areas over areas of town.”
“You are not going to see a dramatic change from the present leisure districts you have got now, from them having their very own guidelines for these kinds of points,” Lucas mentioned. “I do not count on us having, as an example a Energy and Gentle District-size big weed smoking space.”
Below Modification 3, public use of marijuana will still be prohibited statewide. Driving whereas beneath the affect will probably be unlawful, as will promoting hashish to somebody beneath 21.
Whereas consumption of marijuana in public areas is punishable by a high quality, enforcement is essentially left to the discretion of cities and native legislation enforcement businesses. The Kansas Metropolis Council voted to stop prosecuting marijuana possession at a municipal degree in 2020.
Lucas mentioned Kansas Citians gained’t see many enforcement modifications.
“One of many key steps for us in Kansas Metropolis is ensuring that we arrange our personal regulatory equipment for the way you make it possible for retailers are distributing or following all the suitable guidelines,” Lucas mentioned. “Actually conversations with the Kansas Metropolis Police Division when it comes to what enforcement seems like. Now, luckily, in Kansas Metropolis, we have decriminalized marijuana for period of time, and that was just a few years in the past.”
The modification consists of an computerized 6% state tax, which can go primarily into the Missouri Veterans’ Well being and Care Fund. It additionally consists of the choice for cities to leverage as much as 3% of further gross sales tax with voter approval.
Kansas Metropolis voters will probably be requested to approve that further tax on April 4, after the Kansas Metropolis Council on Thursday approved an ordinance to place the query on the municipal normal election poll. If authorized, income from the tax would go in the direction of marijuana and alcohol regulation, code enforcement and “neighborhood high quality of life.”
“In Kansas Metropolis, we’re seeking to earmark it for neighborhood points,” Lucas mentioned. “Ensuring we tackle neighborhood issues like code enforcement and importantly trash pickup and unlawful dumping. One thing that is hitting loads of neighborhoods of Kansas Metropolis. And it’s historically underfunded by Metropolis Corridor.”
With the tax cash, town hopes to increase the Regulated Industries Division, which additionally manages alcohol and grownup leisure companies, amongst others. Lucas mentioned a lot of the early years of the tax income would probably go in the direction of funding that division.
“We do need to make it possible for the place there will probably be a brand new quantity of enforcement actions coming that Kansas Metropolis authorities is on high of,” Lucas mentioned. “You do not need some new big sort of factor that is being produced, has a excessive quantity, after which us having, like, one regulator that’s overworked citywide.”
Kansas Metropolis can even foyer Kansas to vary its marijuana legal guidelines to stop folks from incurring penalties whereas crossing state traces with marijuana they purchased in Missouri.
“All of us traverse the state line — many every day,” Lucas mentioned. “I don’t need Kansas Citians arrested in Kansas for any of all these possession offenses,” he mentioned. “And albeit, I don’t need Kansans getting wrapped up in that both.”
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