Where to allocate weed tax revenues?

Two proposals with competing visions for the tens of millions in taxes that Montana collects annually on the sale of recreational marijuana are still making their way through the Legislature as lawmakers work to set a two-year state budget.

One measure, House Bill 669, would funnel most of the state’s adult-use marijuana tax collections — which are forecast to top $50 million per year — to the General Fund, allowing lawmakers to distribute that money as they see fit on a session-by-session basis, including this one. The other, Senate Bill 442, started as a proposal to divvy taxes between rural road maintenance and Gov. Gianforte’s signature substance use disorder treatment program, but has since been amended to also include statutory allocations for wildlife habitat, state parks and veterans’ programs. Most of SB 442’s statutory allocations would be permanent unless retooled by a future Legislature.

After passing the Senate 49-1 on April 4, the latter proposal was heard by the House Taxation Committee Friday.

Read more from the Montana Free Press here...