Legislature Adjourns to Next Week, No MJ Bill

LEGISLATURE ADJOURNS TO NEXT WEEK WITHOUT A MARIJUANA BILL
No pot bill compromise will reach the governor’s desk before next week at the earliest. The House and Senate both adjourned their Thursday sessions to meet again Monday, foreclosing the opportunity for delivering Gov. Charlie Baker an overhaul of the marijuana ballot law before the weekend is through. Now two weeks since their self-imposed deadline to produce a compromise bill, it appears increasingly possible that the House-Senate conference committee has reached a stalemate. The conference committee, chaired by House Majority Leader Ron Mariano of Quincy and Somerville Sen. Patricia Jehlen, has met regularly since its formation in late June and plans to meet again on Friday, according to Jehlen’s office. The secrecy of the meetings prevents any clear assessment by the public of what is transpiring in the negotiations or the likelihood of a deal being reached. The House bill would raise taxes on retail marijuana to 28 percent and allow local officials to keep pot stores out of town without holding a referendum. The Senate version hews closer to the ballot law, keeping marijuana taxes at 10 to 12 percent and retaining the requirement that a local ban be approved by local voters. – Andy Metzger/SHNS