The Massachusetts House is set to debate proposed changes to the voter-approved law that legalized recreational use of marijuana by adults.
The bill up for consideration Wednesday would not revise any of the current rules around how much marijuana individuals can legally possess or how many plants they're allowed to grow inside their homes.
But the proposal does call for steeper taxes on recreational marijuana purchases when pot shops begin opening next year. The tax would be 28 percent, compared to 12 percent in the law approved by voters.
“It is widely agreed that at 12 percent we won’t even cover the costs of regulating the sale of marijuana recreationally,” said Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier, a Democrat from Pittsfield. “So we do need to raise that rate to ensure that we cover our costs.”
The House bill also would make changes in the way recreational marijuana is regulated and give local officials more power to keep marijuana stores from opening in their communities.
Most legalization advocates support more modest revisions proposed in a Senate bill.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
