Legalization of recreational marijuana makes legislative progress

The state Judiciary Committee has approved a bill that would legalize possession of recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older.

SB 1085, which establishes 1.5 ounces as the amount of marijuana that can be legally possessed for recreational use passed by a 21-19 vote. That bill also requires all cannabis retailers to scan driver licenses in order to perform a sale, sets penalties for selling marijuana to minors and allows people who were previously convicted of marijuana possession to petition courts to have their records erased.

SB 1085 passed mostly along party lines: no Republicans voted for it, while a handful of Democrats voted against it.

The Judiciary Committee also voted in favor of HB 7371, which establishes a cannabis control commission within the Department of Consumer Protection. Another bill, HB 6863, which deals with the regulation and taxation of recreational marijuana sales, was passed by the General Law Committee last month.