JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Missouri lawmaker wants to legalize marijuana in hopes of bringing more revenue to the state and getting rid of the black market.
Lawmakers are returning to the Capitol later this week to kick off the 2021 legislative session. For the first time ever, a Missouri Republican representative is pushing to legalize recreational marijuana. If it passes, it would even clear the records of those with previous marijuana charges.
Rep. Shamed Dogan (R-Ballwin) is sponsoring the proposed constitutional amendment, House Joint Resolution 30 (HJR 30).
“We spend more time and more law enforcement resources going after marijuana smokers than all the other drugs combined,” Dogan said. “Ten percent of the arrests in the state of Missouri right now are from marijuana possession.”
Sixteen states have already legalized marijuana but Dogan said it’s time for Missouri to craft its own regulations and restrictions that make sense for Missouri.
“I think alcohol prohibition taught us that trying to prohibit something this way. The way we’ve gone about marijuana prohibition, it backfires,” Dogan said.
The proposed amendment would allow Missourians 21 and older to use cannabis and remove it from the state’s list of controlled substances.
“And it automatically lets out of prison anybody that is still serving a prison term for…
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Missouri lawmaker wants to legalize marijuana in hopes of bringing more revenue to the state and getting rid of the black market.
Lawmakers are returning to the Capitol later this week to kick off the 2021 legislative session. For the first time ever, a Missouri Republican representative is pushing to legalize recreational marijuana. If it passes, it would even clear the records of those with previous marijuana charges.
Rep. Shamed Dogan (R-Ballwin) is sponsoring the proposed constitutional amendment, House Joint Resolution 30 (HJR 30).
“We spend more time and more law enforcement resources going after marijuana smokers than all the other drugs combined,” Dogan said. “Ten percent of the arrests in the state of Missouri right now are from marijuana possession.”
Sixteen states have already legalized marijuana but Dogan said it’s time for Missouri to craft its own regulations and restrictions that make sense for Missouri.
“I think alcohol prohibition taught us that trying to prohibit something this way. The way we’ve gone about marijuana prohibition, it backfires,” Dogan said.
The proposed amendment would allow Missourians 21 and older to use cannabis and remove it from the state’s list of controlled substances.
“And it automatically lets out of prison anybody that is still serving a prison term for…
