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Lieutenant governor and industry witnesses urge market fixes in H.321 hearing as retailers, growers clash over fees and direct sales
Summary
Testimony at the committee's April 23 hearing on H.321 highlighted industry pressures: Lieutenant Governor John Rogers and growers warned of license-fee inequities and market oversupply, while retailers and trade groups urged caution on expanding retail or direct sales and flagged saturation, potency limits and advertising rules.
The Senate Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs Committee heard extensive testimony on H.321 on April 23, a bill addressing multiple cannabis-market issues. Witnesses described a market strained by rapid license growth, uneven fee structures and limited sales channels for small producers.
Lieutenant Governor John Rogers told the committee that current license fees and tier rules favor large, indoor operations and disfavor lower-cost outdoor growers. "Out of that $4.20, once I take out the label, the glass, the paper, that might grow, what it cost me for fertilizer, my genetics, plant it, the tractor, the fuel. I make about a dollar. The retailer makes $4.20. The state makes a dollar and 68¢," Rogers said, describing how tax and retail margins currently flow.
Rogers proposed recalibrating license fees to better reflect on-the-ground income potential and urged the legislature to consider a path for…
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