Legalize Recreational Marijuana & Can The Hated Pop Tax, Urges Cook Co. Commissioner

By Stephen Gossett in News on Oct 5, 2017 4:25PM

Flickr user tefennell4

It's time to can the schwag, deeply unpopular pop tax in Cook County and legalize recreational marijuana statewide, said Cook County Commissioner John Fritchey on Wednesday.

Fritchey called the legalization of recreational marijuana the "right social policy" and said it is supported by most Illinois voters and would generate millions in revenue, which would defray "the need for new taxes or service cuts." Regulating and taxing limited amounts of recreations pot "won’t solve all of our problems but it is a step in the right direction and it is well past time to take meaningful action on this issue," Fritchey said in a release.

The commissioner announced on Wednesday a resolution that urges the Illinois General Assembly to pass two bills that were introduced to lawmakers in March, one by Sen. Heather Steans, and another by Rep. Kelly Cassidy. The bills would allow people 21 and over to buy, grow and posses limited amounts of weed. Residents could possess 28 grams and grow five plants. Under the legislation, businesses would apply for licenses, and a state agency would regulate operations. The agency would enforce mandatory labeling and limits on advertising, among other stipulations. The bills call for a tax rate of $50 per ounce, wholesale, in addition to the standard Illinois sales tax rate.

Fritchey cited a Paul Simon Public Policy Institute study that determined 66 percent of Illinois voters support legalization of taxed and regulated recreational marijuana. Seventy-four percent of voters in Chicago support such policy, according to the study.

Support for the pop tax is decidedly less, um, high. A We Ask America poll found last month that 85 percent want the sugary-beverage tax repealed, according to the Tribune.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Thursday will unveil a budget proposal, which is expected to spotlight the need for spending cuts in the event the pop tax is repealed.

"The sweetened beverage tax has made it crystal clear that voters have simply reached their limit when it comes to new taxes for existing goods and services,” added Fritchey. "Marijuana legalization would provide needed revenue to Cook County and throughout the State of Illinois."

Using Colorado figures as a gauge, the Marijuana Policy Project estimated that Illinois could generate between $350 million and $700 million with legalized recreational marijuana.

Max Temkin, co-founder of Cards Against Humanity, thanked Fritchey for his calling on "common sense" marijuana policy. CAH announced in August that the company donated $70,000 to aid the legalization effort in Illinois.