The Rhode Island legislature is ready to tackle again a bill that would allow the sale and possession of marijuana for recreational purposes.
Senator Joshua Miller, a democrat from Cranston is pushing the bill which would allow those 21 and older to possess an ounce of marijuana.
Miller says that the legislation creates a new industry for the state and a marketplace for the consumer.
This is not the first time that lawmakers have taken up the legislation. The State Senate last session passed a measure to legalize pot and tax it at 20 percent. The bill never made it through the House.
The current proposal calls for 33 licenses to be created in six different regions of the state. It would call for a taxation system that would provide for a 10 percent cannabis tax, a 7 percent sales tax and three percent local tax for a total of 20 percent. The Medical Marijuana Sales Tax is 7 percent.Massachusetts has a total tax structure of 17 percent.
Miller says the time is now to move the issue through the legislature.
The bill has not been scheduled for hearings yet.
(Photo by RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images)