World-famous travel mogul Rick Steves announced this week that he will be matching donations up to $50,000 made to this year’s effort to legalize cannabis in Maine.
“As a NORML Board Member, I am proud to announce that NORML is endorsing this initiative. And to demonstrate my commitment, I am going to match every donation up to $50,000, dollar-for-dollar,” Steves wrote in a blog post on the NORML website.
Steves will visit Maine throughout October and spread support for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Maine and educate about the benefits of legalization.
The initiative legalizes the possession of a limited amount of marijuana by adults at least 21 years old. Public consumption would remain illegal.
Adults would also be allowed to grow a limited number of cannabis plants at home, and possess the harvests of those plants. A regulatory system would be established to license retailers and professional cultivation, manufacturing, and testing facilities.
The initiative would also establish a ten percent excise tax on adult-use marijuana sales, which would help cover the costs of implementing and enforcing the regulations — medical cannabis sales will not be taxed. Localities would retain the right to ban marijuana businesses.
“Responsible adults should be able to use marijuana, just as they can use alcohol. … This isn’t about being ‘soft’ or ‘hard’ on drugs. This is about being smart – and controlling and regulating marijuana the right way,” Steves wrote.
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