The Cannabis Regulatory Commission on Wednesday punted on whether to hike a fee tacked onto cannabis after already canceling a scheduled vote on the fee earlier this month.
The commission was expected to vote during a special meeting Wednesday on whether to raise what's known as the social equity excise fee from $1.24 an ounce to as much as $30 for 2025.
The fee, mandated by state law, goes toward a fund that dedicates some revenue from recreational cannabis to social equity projects and reinvesting in communities that were harmed by marijuana criminalization. A percentage of the fee also goes to funding programs aimed at diverting young people from cannabis.
But following a two-and-a-half-hour meeting behind closed doors, the five-member panel voted 3-2 to delay the Nov. 1 deadline to approve any changes to the fee. Commissioner Charles Barker said delaying the decision would give the commission "more time to gather information, to speak to more stakeholders and organizations who represent the businesses and the people who will be directly impacted by this decision."
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