Senate passes wide-ranging cannabis bill

The Senate unanimously adopted a bill yesterday that would implement the most significant changes to state cannabis laws since the legalization of adult-use marijuana in 2017.

While the bill passed by the Senate (S. 2801) eliminated sections that would have retroactively interfered with existing host community agreements, the MMA continues to have concerns about provisions that would expand the powers of the Cannabis Control Commission in ways that could undermine established local authority and lead to unpredictability in community impact fees.

The MMA expressed its concerns about the provisions in an April 6 letter to senators.

The Senate did adopt several amendments, supported by the MMA, that would:
• Clarify that the Cannabis Control Commission would not be required to approve all host community agreements
• Establish a 120-day review timeframe for agreements the CCC does review
• Establish criteria for reviewing and rejecting host community agreements and impact fees while allowing municipalities to appeal the decisions

The MMA continues to have concerns about a burdensome and unpredictable proposed process for crafting community host agreements and setting community impact fees. The Senate did not adopt several amendments supported by the MMA that would help to standardize impact fees and assist municipalities in negotiating host community agreements.

The MMA remains supportive of the Senate bill’s provision to establish a Social Equity Trust Fund, which would provide grants and loans to Economic Empowerment or Social Equity participants.

The MMA will continue to closely watch this issue and advocate for municipal needs as the House takes up its own cannabis bill.