Pols zone out on pot
We won’t quibble too much with the new tax rate for marijuana retail sales agreed to in the compromise pot legislation, released yesterday. The bill imposes a 17 percent tax, with another 3 percent local option tax. That effectively splits the difference between the way-too-low 12 percent rate in the original law (and in a Senate overhaul) and the up-to 28 percent rate called for by the House.
Where we will quibble — actually, where we’ll object mightily — is over the silly, two-tiered system that lawmakers have cooked up for cities and towns to decide whether they’ll allow pot shops within their borders. We can’t imagine how this one got past the lawyers, and Gov. Charlie Baker should seek to amend it once it gets to his desk.
Consider us supporters of exceedingly local control on this matter. If a city or town wants to restrict alcohol sales, for example, under state law it may do so. The community should have the same right to restrict pot sales.
And the latter should be permitted regardless of how that community voted in November’s statewide referendum. Because in this commonwealth, and in this country, we don’t impose “consistency” tests in our elections.
Such a litmus test is essentially what the conference committee has set up here, by setting a different standard of approval for barring retail pot sales, based on how a community voted on Question 4.
Under the compromise bill — which lawmakers may not amend before a vote — a community that voted yes may only ban pot shops via a city- or town-wide municipal election (the current, ill-advised standard which was set by the voter-approved law). Only if a community voted no on Question 4 would a vote of the local legislative body, whether it’s town meeting or city council, be sufficient.
It’s the kind of convoluted compromise that could only be devised in the brains of politicians who are trying to be all things to all people, listening too closely to lobbyists — and think it’s perfectly reasonable for the state to steamroll over cities and towns.