Montana to Vote on Medical Marijuana, Tobacco Tax Questions July 21, 2004
News Summary
Voters in Montana will decide this fall whether to legalize marijuana for medical use and significantly increase tobacco taxes, the Helena Independent Record reported July 17.The medical marijuana ballot initiative would allow residents with certain medical conditions to grow, possess, and use limited amounts of marijuana.
The tobacco initiative seeks to increase the tax on a pack of cigarettes from 70 cents to $1.70. In addition, the tax on chewing tobacco would increase from 35 cents to 85 cents an ounce, and the tax rate on other tobacco products would double from 25 percent to 50 percent of the wholesale price.
The money raised from the additional tobacco taxes, estimated at $44.7 million in the first full year, would fund programs that provide health insurance to poor children; provide prescription drugs to poor children, the elderly, chronically ill, and disabled; and help small businesses that offer employee health insurance.
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