Senate Finance removes grower-tier fee changes from H.321, directs Cannabis Control Board to study fees

Senate Finance on Thursday removed proposed changes to cannabis grower tier fees from its proposed amendment to H.321 and directed the Cannabis Control Board to study cannabis fee schedules and return recommendations to the committee by Nov. 15.

The move came after staff described a substitute amendment to H.321 that would fold numerous cannabis regulatory changes — including a new trim-and-harvest service license, expanded background-check authority, and a two-year option for employee ID cards and product registrations — into the bill. Kirby (legislative staff) told the committee the amendment also would require the Cannabis Control Board (CCB) to submit a report by Nov. 15 with “a summary of all cannabis fees in effect in fiscal year ’26, including the amounts of revenue derived from each fee in fiscal year ’25” and recommendations for adjusting the fee schedule.

Why it matters: The committee was confronted with a policy tradeoff proposed by a separate economic development amendment that would reduce some outdoor-grower fees and increase some indoor fees. James Pepper, chair of the Cannabis Control Board,…