SB00487 Summary

• Legalizes possession and personal use of marijuana for individuals 21 years or older, with possession limits of one ounce of usable marijuana (effective January 1, 2020) and up to six home-cultivated plants.

• Establishes a regulated retail system with licensed marijuana lounges, retailers, cultivation facilities, and product manufacturing facilities, with applications and licensing fees managed by the Department of Consumer Protection.

• Implements surcharges on marijuana sales: 0.25% on approved dispensary sales to non-medical consumers and $50 per ounce of marijuana flowers purchased by retailers and lounges (effective one year after passage).

• Prohibits smoking marijuana in public places and while operating motor vehicles; establishes 5 nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood as a permissible inference of impairment for driving.

• Legalizes hemp production as an agricultural product with delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol concentration not exceeding 0.3% on a dry weight basis, requiring registration with the Department of Agriculture.