Missouri cannabis legalization bill stalled in House

A GOP-led bill to legalize recreational cannabis in Missouri was supposed to be considered in the House of Representatives on Monday. However Rep. Ron Hicks (R) is claiming that House leadership is standing in the way and delaying the bill.

This delay is happening synonymously with the upcoming adjournment of the legislature, as well as a separate reform push happening at a grassroots level to get on the ballot via voter initiative.

The main issue that has been expressed between Hicks and leadership is concerning license caps for cannabis businesses. Hicks does not believe including license caps is necessary to move the bill forward.

But according to Hicks, the House floor leader is now demanding license caps be left in the bill in order to be considered.

The “Cannabis Freedom Act”, which Hicks is sponsoring, has moved through two committees so far. The meeting meant to be held Monday was just for initial approval into the House.

House Majority Floor Leader Dean Plocher (R) is currently stalling the bill and requesting a meeting to discuss the legislation before it is considered.

Hicks sees this as another hold up, saying that he has never been spoken to about legislation in the past, but instead settled the issues through debate on the House floor. He originally planned to resolve the issue by introducing a floor amendment where the issue could be discussed regarding removing the caps.

According to Hicks the opinion of Plocher is ideologically antithetical to conservative principles, but he would still prefer a floor debate on the issue.

He also argues against the industry-backed ballot initiative, as he believes that the proposal’s licensing caps would stifle competition and give an advantage to those already active in the Missouri medical cannabis industry.

Even if Hick’s bill is approved, it would still need to go through the Fiscal Review Committee before being taken up on the floor once again for final passage in the Senate.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to purchase and possess cannabis from licensed retailers. There is not currently a possession limit in the measure. It simply gets rid of existing statutes criminalizing cannabis possession. Adults could also cultivate up to 12 plants for personal use.