Bill requiring new voter approval on local cannabis bans and impacting local regulatory authority passes out of committee

HB 1650 passed out of the House Regulated Substances & Gaming Committee just before the cut-off on a party line vote. It would prevent local governments from prohibiting cannabis retail businesses in their jurisdiction after July 1, 2027, unless the prohibition was approved by voters after July 1, 2023.

This means that even cities that had previously submitted the issue to voters would need to resubmit the ban to a vote after July 1, 2023. Currently about 80 cities out of 281 have some kind of prohibition on cannabis retail businesses.

The bill also impacts regulatory authority for cities that currently allow siting of cannabis retailers. It functionally prohibits cannabis-specific siting regulations. Regulations would still be allowed if they apply generally to all retailers, or if the regulations are part of a voter-approved ban.

Finally, revenue generated by the new cannabis retail outlets located in jurisdictions that formerly prohibited cannabis retail outlets, would be directed to support substance abuse disorder prevention and treatment services, and to cannabis research. This revenue provision would expire in 2032.

AWC opposes HB 1650 due to the preemption and revenue provisions. AWC encourages cities with a prohibition to reach out to your legislators to express concerns regarding this bill. AWC also encourages cities to review the new regulatory restrictions to see if they impact your cities current cannabis retailer regulations.