Will Tennessee Take the High Road?
Lawmakers consider pot tax to fund pothole repair
Tennessee is surrounded by states where medical and/or recreational marijuana use is legal. Those states tax the substance and use the funds for various budget needs.
One Tennessee lawmaker is offering the “Pot for Potholes” Bill that would legalize marijuana and use the revenue to repair the state’s infrastructure.
“Tennesseans are sick of dodging potholes and sitting in traffic jams while Republicans ignore our crumbling roads,” said Rep. Aftyn Behn. “Legalizing marijuana is a no-brainer. It’s good policy, it’s what the people want, and it will bring in the revenue we need to rebuild our highways and transportation network.”
According to a fact sheet provided by the sponsors, the bill would:
- Legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older.
- Establish a 15% sales tax on cannabis products.
- Direct 75% of revenue to the state Highway Fund to repair and modernize roads and bridges.
- Allocate 20% of revenue to local governments in all 95 counties, providing a desperately needed funding stream for transportation projects across Tennessee.
- Save millions worth of state and local tax dollars by ensuring individuals incarcerated solely for nonviolent marijuana offenses are released.
It’s not yet clear that a majority of Tennessee lawmakers are ready to get high on road funding, but the proposal is an innovative one.
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