Rec marijuana will go to 2016 ballot in Nevada

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With the Nevada state legislature adjourning on Friday without taking action on a proposed recreational marijuana initiative, voters will now decide whether they want to legalize recreational marijuana in 2016.

Backers had previously collected nearly 200,000 signatures to either force legislators to enact their initiative or put it on the ballot. When the lawmakers abstained from voting on the issue, the measure was automatically forwarded to next year’s ballot for a popular vote.

Under the terms of the initiative, the state Department of Taxation would oversee rec businesses, including vendors, growers, manufacturers, wholesalers and testing labs. A 15% excise tax would be applied to wholesale transactions, while retail sales would be taxed at already-established state and local rates, according to Marijuana Policy Project.

Zoning may still be an issue for some if the measure passes, since local governments will maintain control over locations for cannabis companies.