HB14-1196: Local Government Marijuana Impacts Task Force

• Creates a 17-member marijuana impacts task force within the Department of Local Affairs to study how retail marijuana cultivation, testing, sale, consumption, and regulation affect local government services and budgets.

• Task force membership includes 6 local government representatives (3 from jurisdictions allowing sales, 3 from those prohibiting sales), 5 state agency representatives, 5 community members supporting legalization, and 1 public defender representative.

• Requires task force to evaluate impacts on law enforcement, child welfare services, and other government budgets, and to compare impacts between jurisdictions that allow versus prohibit marijuana sales.

• Task force must develop recommendations implementable at state or local level to address identified impacts and submit written recommendations to the General Assembly by December 15, 2014.

• Task force members serve without compensation, with all staff support provided by the Department of Local Affairs; the task force is automatically repealed on July 1, 2015.