The funds for cannabis regulation program beneficiaries continue to exceed expectations.
By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent
While Missouri legislators debate the state’s $47.9-billion budget, they also decide how to spend a large amount of money collected by marijuana dispensaries in sales tax.
According to the constitution, nearly $86,000,000 paid by cannabis recreational users must be distributed equally between veterans’ funds, programs for substance abuse prevention and public defenders.
Amy Moore of Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation said to The Independent that the funds for cannabis regulation program beneficiaries continue to surpass expectations.
Moore informed the House budget Committee in February that the different budget bills to be debated later this spring will include $28,6 Million for each of the funds.
The full amount of $28,6 millions has been included in the budget for veterans’ programs and substances use disorders. It will be used to fund partnerships between the courts of state, schools and providers for children’s mental healthcare.
Missouri Veterans Commission is also receiving an extra $13 million in medical marijuana funds. This total of $41.6 will be used to fund the operation and possible repairs at the seven veteran homes located throughout the state.
But the House only has approved $15,3 million to date for public defenders.
The state legislature has the right to refuse to spend the money even if they cannot use it elsewhere.
Public defenders, for instance, hoped to spend some of the money from cannabis sales to boost their lawyers’ salaries, which had been set at $65,000 per annum. The salary would then be aligned with the entry-level wage of the attorney general’s office.
Mary Fox said that the cost of employee turnover was huge. She spoke at a Budget Committee hearing held last month.
This $2.5m request was rejected by the House, despite funds being readily available. In a budget hearing, she asked for an additional $4 million in order to hire full-time 45 social workers. The agency employs these workers as part of its holistic defense program.
Long waitlists for legal representation caused the system to suffer over several years. A successful suit against the state was the result.
John Voss (a Republican state representative from Cape Girardeau who is a member of the budget committee) pushed for an additional $1.6 million in pay increases and $1.2million to hire 20 social worker.
Although the $1.2million was increased, pay increases were not.
Voss said, “These lawyers represent the poor of our state and they deserve to have the best representation we can give them,” during a meeting with the budget committee last month. In terms of holistic defense mitigation specialist, I think that we’re investing in ways to avoid people becoming incarcerated once again and will end up saving money throughout the entire budget.
Overall, Voss said part of the reason the public defenders’ total allocation is less than the two other funds is because about $11.7 million was included in budget legislation that required the funds to be spent by June—and the public defenders weren’t poised to do that.
Lincoln Hough, chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations told Independent in November that the money will be returned to a Missouri Treasury fund to be redirected to public defenders as part of pending legislation.
The money was not reallocated, he added. The money is dedicated to the public advocate. “The money will still be there, and it will go to the operating bill.”
Hough’s committee is expected to debate the bills next week after the House has voted on them. The House might not have approved the salary increases requested by public defenders. However, the Senate can add additional money before May.
Hough stated, “The operating costs will cover the public defender.” These things are usually done right until the deadline set by law. So we will have plenty to discuss on this.”
First published in Missouri Independent.
Federal Census Bureau Reports that States collected over $9.7 billion dollars in Marijuana tax revenues since the mid-2020s