DENVER — Everything in moderation. Including moderation.

That’s the idea behind the Colorado sober movement, an unofficial yet growing trend away from alcohol, and toward plant-based and psychedelic drugs.

But how can one be considered sober while, for example, smoking pot and taking LSD?

Because “Colorado sober” — a spin-off of the similar term “California sober” — isn’t about abstaining from all substances, but rather the ones that are known to have lasting effects on your body and brain, advocates say. That includes drugs such as cocaine and opioids, but also alcohol, which has waned in recent years as the standard social lubricant for young people.

“Weed and mushrooms have a lot less next-day negative effects than alcohol,” said Marissa Poppens, a Denver resident who considers herself Colorado sober. “I’m new to the term but I think people are starting to realize what it means on their own. It’s a version of ‘natural high.’ ”

Poppens regularly uses cannabis and microdoses psilocybin — the active psychedelic ingredient in magic mushrooms — not only for recreation, but also to help treat chronic pain and symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS).

As executive director of the nonprofit MSterios Miracles, Poppens wants to help advocate for and provide resources to people living with MS. She said a flare-up two years ago led to one of her medical professionals suggesting psilocybin. The drug has proven itself as an effective alternative to psychiatric medication, according to licensed psychedelic therapists and researchers, with studies bearing out its transformative effects on depression, PTSD and addiction.

As of 2025, the state’s Natural Medicine Division has begun licensing psilocybin healing centers, which follows Colorado’s recreational legalization of cannabis for people 21 and over in 2014. The combination of those actions — magic mushrooms have been decriminalized since 2022 so it’s not a crime to grow or ingest them, though retail sales are not yet here (as they are for cannabis) — and cultural acceptance has helped Poppens feel better about abandoning alcohol, she said, and find allies in her quest for nontraditional relief.

“I was able to get off my prescribed depression medication, which I hated taking, after I started microdosing,” she said, adding that her regimen is based around wellness, not recreational highs.

In that way, it’s not just a cheeky term for non-drinkers, said Josh Kesselman, owner of the cannabis magazine High Times. It’s an evolving descriptor for people who want to explore, not pummel, their minds.

Research compiled by the Cleveland Clinic has shown that the movement away from alcohol is rooted as much in alcohol’s deleterious effects as increased emphasis on education, mental wellness and healthier lifestyles.

“Alcohol is a depressant and never the answer to a bad day,” said addiction psychiatrist Dr. Akhil Anand in the Cleveland Clinic report. “Gen Z seems to understand that concept, and they’ve moved in a different direction.”

“It’s a great place for many of us to dwell,” Kesselman said. “Cannabis expands the brain, the neural network fires, and synapses connect. We have an endocannabinoid system for a reason.”

Gen Z’s alcohol consumption is dropping rapidly, with a Journal of American Medicine report showing that the percentage of college students abstaining from alcohol was 28% in 2022, as compared with 20% in 2018. Sales of beer have dropped year-over-year, and Pew Research and other reports have shown that the youth movement away from alcohol has rippled out to all age groups.

“Ten years ago, I would go visit friends in New York, and I could never handle two nights in a row of drinking, because by the third night I’d be useless,” Kesselman said. “Alcohol is something that takes your life force and gives you nothing in return. Plus, when people drink, they do terrible things. Nobody’s like, ‘Let’s get stoned and rob people.’ ”

Kesselman, who also founded the Raw Rolling Papers company, has a strong business reason for encouraging others to drop alcohol for cannabis. But it’s no smokescreen, he said: There’s not an objectively right or wrong way to be sober, and that can easily include abstaining from substances altogether.

That would not, however, be considered Colorado sober, or even sober-curious. Rather, Colorado sober describes intentional consumption based around wellness, said Ricardo Baca, who was appointed to the state’s first Natural Medicine Advisory Board last year by Gov. Jared Polis.

“The California sober movement was really born out of recreational cannabis, but also the medical movement before it,” Baca said of that state’s pioneering cannabis laws. “So I was glad when I first heard of the Colorado sober movement, because there was space being carved out for our home state to stake this claim around intentional consumption.

“It’s not about restriction or prohibition or a purity test, because we’ve seen how that goes,” he added, “but about redefining sobriety and aligning with plants and mushrooms and chemical-based alternatives.”

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The truck, described as a “mobile dispensary for CBD and hemp products,” has been seen operating on weekends, typically starting around 9 or 10 p.m., according to a nearby smoke shop owner who wished to remain anonymous. “You just see people going inside the truck and coming out,” he said, expressing skepticism about the legality of selling such products from a truck.

Maryland law prohibits the sale of hemp products from mobile trucks, requiring them to be sold by fixed, licensed dispensaries. Concerns have been raised about the potential health risks of products sold from the truck.

“They can put any chemicals, any additives into it. So you really don’t know what you’re smoking,” the smoke shop owner said.

Ted Golden, a former DEA special agent, highlighted the dangers of unknown substances potentially being sold. “Anything from formaldehyde to methamphetamine, PCP, LCD and yes, fentanyl,” he said, noting the recent introduction of carfentanil, an elephant tranquilizer, to the country.

“We’re talking about putting your life in the hands of somebody else,” Golden warned, emphasizing both health and public safety risks.

The Baltimore Police Department directed inquiries to the Maryland Alcohol, Tobacco and Cannabis Commission and the Maryland Cannabis Administration. As of now, there has been no response regarding potential legal consequences for the truck’s owner.

Contact Vincent Hill at  vhill@sbgtv.com.

They warned that the lack of public awareness around marijuana’s dangers behind the wheel puts lives at risk.

Legalization in Ohio took place in the middle of the six years studied but did not significantly change drivers’ behavior based on the number of deaths.

Among Maryland medical-use patients, 39% admitted to using marijuana before driving in 2023, the year marijuana was legalized in the state, up from 18% the year before, according to Maryland’s 2025 Cannabis Use biannual report. The report also found that up to 10 times as many fatalities involved alcohol as marijuana — 207 to 22 in 2022. Read more. 

At Maryland Shock Trauma, almost 1 in 4 crash victims tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol or THC — the intoxicating ingredient in cannabis — said John Lazarou, director of media relations for the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. That number includes drivers, passengers, pedestrians and others injured in car crashes.

“Among an average of 182 patients each month, 23% tested positive for cannabis,” he said. “However, this data does not indicate whether cannabis impairment was a factor in those crashes.”

The Ohio results confirmed a 2020 National Highway Transportation Safety Administration finding that cannabis was the most common drug identified in crash patients treated at East Coast trauma centers, including Shock Trauma in Baltimore. That study found 56% of people injured or killed on U.S. roads tested positive for alcohol or drugs, with up to 32% testing positive for THC. They also found drug and alcohol use increased slightly during the COVID-19 pandemic before returning to averages.

Marijuana-impaired drivers have a harder time staying within their lane as well as maintaining a steady speed and safe following distance, a 2023 Florida experiment found. Researchers tested driver performance in a vehicle with a second set of brake and gas pedals after vaping THC or a placebo. They found these impairments faded after about four hours.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that cannabis affects areas of the brain that control bodily movements, balance, coordination, memory and judgment while impairing important skills required for safe driving.

Marylanders spend close to $100 million per month on cannabis products, according to the Maryland Cannabis Administration, with 20% of that use prescribed by a doctor.

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It’s not tobacco, said Bob Reilly, a rideshare driver from Laurel, who described his daily experience working on Maryland’s highways and neighborhood roads.

“You see it all the time,” Reilly said. “They just got off work and they’re lighting up for the ride home.”

The Baltimore Sun’s analysis of available data shows marijuana use on Maryland roads has doubled since adult use was decriminalized in 2023; however, deaths and arrests involving impaired driving, including drugs and alcohol, stayed level.

“There’s this myth that marijuana is safer than alcohol,” said former Baltimore drug czar and legalization opponent Michael Gimbel. “Nobody wants to take it seriously, and you have these new strains of marijuana that keep getting stronger.”

Driving while high spiked after the state legalized adult use in 2023, from 18% to 39%, according to the 2025 Maryland Cannabis Use Biannual Study, which includes a survey of medical-use patients. Only 60% of respondents said that driving on cannabis is harmful, compared to 99% who said the same about drunk driving. In 2024, 34% admitted to driving after consuming the drug, with 13% saying they drove stoned six or more times in the previous month.

The complacency of users who drive after smoking endangers everyone on the roads, Gimbel said.

The number of drivers charged with driving under the influence of cannabis has not significantly changed since before legalization, said First Sgt. Wayne Koch, who heads the Maryland State Police Chemical Test for Alcohol Unit.

Last year, 722 people charged with driving under the influence in Maryland tested positive for some kind of drug use, said Koch, who also administers the state’s drug evaluation and classification program. Drugged drivers account for 6% of the state’s 12,595 total driving under the influence charges.

In 2024, Koch said, 16 of the 582 drivers killed on state roadways tested positive for alcohol or drugs, though he cautioned that it is possible that more used cannabis but were not tested for it.

The stakes are high, and not just for drivers. According to the Maryland Highway Safety Office’s Zero Deaths Maryland program, impaired driving kills an average of 158 people a year on state roadways and injures 2,743 more. The statistics include pedestrians, bicyclists, passengers and other crash victims who were not behind the wheel. To read more about what research reveals about driving while high, click here.

Gimbel called for better roadside testing for tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the intoxicating ingredient in cannabis, and stronger legal consequences for those who abuse the drug while driving.

The data don’t truly capture how many drivers use marijuana, he said. “It only shows intoxication in those who got arrested, killed or injured in a crash.”

John Lazarou, director of media relations for the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration, also said that the numbers do not tell the whole story.

“Currently, there is no comprehensive data on THC involvement in crashes or highway fatalities,” Lazarou said. “Cannabis tests are rare. Recent data from the National Study Center (NSC) looked at 2023—2024 shock trauma cases involving motor vehicle crash patients. Among an average of 182 patients each month, 23% tested positive for cannabis. However, this data does not indicate whether cannabis impairment was a factor in those crashes.”

Cannabis blood tests are also less reliable than breath tests for alcohol, because of the drug’s chemistry. The Maryland Cannabis Administration reports that the larger size of the THC molecule means the drug can stay in the body for weeks, causing false positives on blood tests.

Marijuana on state highways

Stoned passengers can cause a hassle for rideshare drivers like Reilly.

“Several times I saw they were smoking or vaping as I pulled up,” he said. “Then they took a last big hit right before they got in and forget they were supposed to exhale before they closed the door.”

He often smells it on passengers who book his car and sometimes has to clean the smell out, because it’s bad for business. Sober passengers who hailed him afterward have complained and gotten him kicked off rideshare apps twice, though he does not consume.

He’s never had passengers vape or light up in his car, he said. “They’re either pretty chill during the entire ride, or they’re really animated. Either way, they’re always up for a good laugh, and I try to provide that.”

Even after decriminalization, it remains illegal to smoke marijuana in Maryland’s public spaces or in the passenger seat of a car.

The number of passengers or drivers Reilly observed using cannabis shot up after legalization, he said. “There’s been a massive change. I don’t ever look for the welcome sign to DC or Baltimore, I know I’ve arrived by opening the window and taking a breath.”

To spread awareness about the law and marijuana, Lazarou said, Maryland’s Be The Driver campaign includes outreach targeting high-risk populations such as college students. The Department of Transportation also supports annual Impaired Driving Awards to recognize law enforcement agencies and officers who demonstrate excellence in enforcement.

“During holiday periods and peak risk times,” he said, “the Maryland Highway Safety Office funds and supports high-visibility enforcement waves — DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols — to deter impaired driving, including drug impairment.”

Enforcement challenges

Identifying drugged drivers on the road is difficult, Koch said, but officers have several tools to address the challenge.

“When I’m driving and smell the odor of burnt cannabis products, that’s recent use,” Koch said. But unless he witnesses someone smoking, an officer has to look for risky behavior like weaving, inconsistent speed or traffic violations.

“If a police officer has a reason to stop somebody and pull them over,” Koch said, “he can talk to them. He may notice bloodshot, glassy eyes or slurred speech. Then he can do a standardized field sobriety test. He can also offer a breath test.”

Breath tests only measure alcohol, though, and if the test does not confirm the officer’s suspicion, they can call in a certified drug recognition expert.

These specially trained officers know the signs and symptoms of alcohol and other drugs, and can request a blood test. Maryland has 42 participating agencies supporting 180 certified experts, who can respond to stops outside their jurisdiction, Koch said. “It’s a collaborative effort.”

Once a determination is made and a citation issued, the officer can release the driver to a sober individual or arrest them.

Blood tests are always administered in a medical facility, Koch said. Maryland does not have a minimum level of THC in the blood to be considered legally impaired. Test results determine the presence or absence of THC.

Maryland State Police, with Department of Transportation funding, improves experts’ skills through Alcohol Labs, where officers can observe inebriated volunteers. Green Labs similarly provides experience with marijuana’s effects.

Green Labs also builds relationships, Koch said. “The police officer gets a good education on signs of cannabis use, and the consumers are getting a good interaction with law enforcement. We’ve gotten very positive feedback from our participants.”

Koch said he has been properly trained to deal with stoned drivers.

“We are spreading the message,” he said. “If you are going to be consuming, you should not be driving. With modern technology, with Uber and Lyft, there’s no reason for anyone to be consuming THC and get behind the wheel of an automobile.”

Just exhale before you get in, Reilly said.

Have a news tip? Contact Karl Hille at 443-900-7891 or khille@baltsun.com.

The family-owned dispensary opened its storefront with a ceremonial ribbon cutting at 101 E. Chesapeake Ave. — the former home of Zen Leaf Towson.

“We always kind of had an entrepreneur mindset, but I was also very interested in the cannabis market,” said Steve Anyadike about why he decided to open a shop with his mom, Adlate Anyadike and partner Elle Lee.

In 2023, the Anyadikes both applied for a dispensary license through Maryland’s social equity lottery for cannabis licenses, which aimed to give its limited business license opportunities to a pool of applicants who have lived in or attended school in areas disproportionately impacted by cannabis possession charges. At the same time, Lee, who first met Steve Anyadike at Towson University, also applied for a micro dispensary license.

Last year, Lee and the mother-son duo found out they had both been selected. More than 200 licensees won the state’s social equity cannabis lottery.

Not knowing any other lottery winners, the three agreed to work together and co-own a dispensary. Though searching for a location was an initial challenge, finding the Towson storefront that previously operated as a dispensary removed a barrier to access.

FLWR will operate as a standard brick-and-mortar dispensary, but with a more personalized, boutique feel, Steve Anyadike said. Lee’s micro dispensary license will allow her to operate her business as a delivery service in the future.

Lee thinks social equity lottery licensees will change the cannabis game.

“People might say, ‘Social equity, they didn’t earn it, or this is maybe DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] or oh, it’s Black-owned’ —  just have these preconceived notions about this social equity opportunity and us being Black co-owners, and people might say things about that,” Lee said. “We actually want to utilize this opportunity and create something great.”

Have a news tip? Contact Natalie Jones at najones@baltsun.com.

“I understand that some community members may have reservations about the source of these funds, given that cannabis remains illegal at the federal level,” said Stephanie Powers, director of the CARE Healing Center, a sexual assault crisis center in Carroll County. “By directing this revenue towards healing and prevention, we can transform what may some you as immoral into a powerful investment in recovery, public health and long-term community well-being.”

The $1.9 million will come from the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund, a statewide pot of funding collected from Maryland’s 12% sales tax on recreational marijuana. Revenue from the fund is distributed to each Maryland county based on how many people were charged with possession of cannabis in that county during the 10 years before it was legalized.

The state requires counties to invest the money in communities that have been disproportionately targeted for using cannabis, and outlines a number of accepted uses for the funds, including transportation improvements, crisis response services, child care and education. The specific uses of the funding are up to Carroll County’s discretion, as long as they meet the state guidelines.

Carroll’s grants office has proposed using $1.35 million of this money to offer grants to community nonprofits, and officials said at an Oct. 2 county board meeting that they hoped to start allocating these grants by Jan. 1, 2026, pending approval from the county board.

At Thursday’s meeting, county officials heard from 15 public commenters. The majority of attendees called for the county to invest the funds into educating both youth and adults about cannabis “in an honest and evidence-based way,” as public commenter Jimmy Gast put it.

“Over the past several decades, our country has invested in drug prevention programs … that point out the consequences and punishments, rather than education and understanding in the long term,” said Gast, who works for the HOFFA (Healing Opportunity Free From Addiction) Foundation in Sykesville. “We must address the root causes of these things, rather than simply punishing symptoms.”

Several public health workers who spoke at the meeting pointed out that the public doesn’t fully understand how cannabis impacts the body, mostly due to a lack of research. Smoking marijuana can impact the endocannabinoid system, a part of the body that regulates pain receptors, the central nervous system and many other functions.

Marijuana has been used medicinally for thousands of years and can have benefits for individuals experiencing chronic pain, but has also been shown to negatively impact the lungs and memory of chronic users.

“When I work with patients with medical cannabis, patients will say to me, ‘Well, I always need cannabis, it’s a quick Band-Aid fix to those endocannabinoid deficits,'” said Renee Reisinger, a nurse practitioner from Baltimore County. “Diet, exercise, stress reduction, medication are all things that we can move into the community … and maybe teach at high schools.”

Public commenter Rick Glass also called out County Commissioner Susan Krebs for comparing cannabis to cigarettes at the Oct. 2 county board meeting.

“Education about how [the endocannabinoid system] interacts with phytocannabinoids — compounds found in cannabis — reveals how responsible use can have measurable health benefits,” he said.

Glass, a veteran and the president of cannabis education nonprofit Canna Cares, said he has not been allowed to own a firearm since he started using medical marijuana, a substance that “saved [his] life,” and called for commissioners to “begin acknowledging the science.”

Three public commenters, however, took issue with the fact that the county was accepting money from the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund while cannabis is still federally classified as a Schedule I Drug. Two speakers referred to the use of the funding as “money laundering.”

“You’re starting from something that’s already illegal, so the proceeds from something that’s already illegal are also illegal,” said Katherine Adelaide, a member of the Carroll County Republican Central Committee. “This is the fruit of a poisonous tree.”

Marijuana is legal for either medical or recreational use in 38 states, and over 59% of Carroll County residents voted for legalization in 2022. While the status of national regulations remains unclear, the federal government has directed officials not to prevent states from legalizing medical marijuana, and has scaled back prosecution of individuals who use marijuana.

In 2024, two county commissioners voted not to accept the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund for this reason, and at the Oct. 2 meeting, Krebs and Commissioner Joseph Vigliotti raised concerns about the issue.

County grants manager Corey Hardinger said at Thursday’s hearing that officials would take the public’s views into consideration, and would return to the county board in the coming weeks to vote on a concrete plan for how to use the cannabis funds.

“I think we’re doing a good job in this area, in Westminster, because of all the resources that have been put in, and it’s great,” Krebs said. “But now we need to expand it out.”

Have a news tip? Contact Lily Carey at LCarey@baltsun.com.

Blanchard said he, along with councilmen Jermaine Jones and Antonio Glover, will propose a package of legislation, including a zoning bill to set a minimum distance between smoke shops and another to address exterior signage. Blanchard, whose district includes Federal Hill, said the shops create a public health concern and have become a “neighborhood ecosystem nuisance,” including “super bright” exterior signage.

“They’re open late; they’re selling, obviously, a [product] that is not healthy. They tend to have very tacky signage,” Blanchard said. “There’s a lot of different reasons that people across the city are frustrated.”

Sam Alakhsash, a manager at Tobacco House and Gifts in Federal Hill, said he would welcome the restrictions.

“We’ve been here for 15 years,” he said. “We had like five or six other smoke shops open right next to us. So we’re all in competition with each other, and none of us make money.”

He said there isn’t much lighting outside his store. “We could change it. It’s not really a big issue,” he said.

Alakhsash said he hasn’t heard complaints about smoke shops themselves, but about an environment of crime that can be associated with them.

“Some smoke shops who just come in and they’re new and they’re competitive and they don’t really care about the community as much, and they just start selling weed. And then when they start selling all these drugs, what happens is you get a bad crowd that comes to the smoke shops,” he said.

Council President Zeke Cohen said in a statement that several bills may be introduced at the next Council meeting.

“Councilmembers have been working together to address the issue of a saturation of vape/smoke shops popping up across the city,” he said.

Have a news tip? Contact Brooke Conrad at bconrad@baltsun.com or 443-682-2356.

The hearing will take place at 9 a.m., Oct. 23 at the Carroll County government offices, 225 N. Center St., in Westminster.

Carroll County received $1.9 million from the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund, which distributes money collected by the state from a tax on adult-use cannabis sales.

According to a county news release, money from the CRRF must be used to “support community-based initiatives that benefit low-income communities and those disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of cannabis laws.” The state outlines several areas that counties can use the CRRF money for, including housing and homelessness prevention, workforce development, behavioral health crisis response and transportation improvement.

However, it is up to each county to decide which of these areas to allocate the money toward, as long as the funding ultimately supports low-income households.

At the Oct. 2 county commissioners meeting, representatives of the county grants office proposed using $1.35 million of the money to provide grants to community nonprofits.

The county won’t make any decisions about how to use the CRRF money until after the public hearing.

In the past, county commissioners have been split on the issue of cannabis revenue. In May 2024, two of the five commissioners — Joseph Vigliotti of District 1 and Michael Guerin of District 4 — voted that the county should not accept any tax revenue from the sale of cannabis, citing a moral opposition to the drug.

Still, 59% of Carroll County voters approved the legalization of recreational marijuana in 2022, and the county is now home to four adult-use dispensaries.

Residents will be able to share their thoughts in person or over the phone during public comment at the Oct. 23 hearing. Public commenters do not have to register in advance.

Have a news tip? Contact Lily Carey at LCarey@baltsun.com.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday signed into law a new 24% tax on marijuana sales between producers and dispensaries, creating revenue to partially fund her long-promised effort to improve the state’s roads.

Whitmer made road repairs her priority this year. The Legislature’s fiscal agencies estimate the wholesale tax will generate $420 million in new revenue to go towards the annual $1.8 billion road funding plan. But analysts predict the additional tax will inevitably lead to a drop in sales.

“When I took office, I made a promise to fix the damn roads so Michiganders could get where they’re going faster and safer,” she said in a video. Whitmer — long considered a potential Democratic presidential candidate, although she hinted she may not be interested in the job — signed the budget in a closed-door meeting.

The wholesale tax will be levied on the sale of marijuana from growers and processors to retailers.

Adam Hoffer, director of excise tax policy at the Tax Foundation, said the new tax will almost certainly lead to an increase in retail prices and a decrease in sales. The Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency predicted a 14.4% sales decline. Shoppers will still also have to pay a 10% retail excise tax on marijuana, which has been in place since it was legalized in 2018, plus a 6% sales tax.

States that allow the sale of recreational marijuana tax cannabis products at different rates, so it’s difficult to make state-to-state comparisons, Hoffer said. But the wholesale tax will drive the amount of tax on Michigan products from the lower end of the spectrum to the higher. Minnesota, Maryland and Maine also hiked taxes on marijuana products this year.

“This massive tax increase is really going to hurt the legal market in Michigan,” Hoffer said, echoing concerns from critics who say it will encourage illicit marijuana sales.

Stuart Carter, founder of the Detroit Cannabis Industry Association, said the tax will devastate smaller businesses in particular. He called it a “slap in the face” after the tax hike was ushered through the Legislature with little chance for public comment.

The new tax was key in the final negotiations on the road-funding plan. Michigan’s freezing and thawing cycle in the winter creates a continuous need for road repairs and the topic has been an issue for decades. Discussion on where to find the funds has been a source of disagreement; lawmakers usually balk at the idea of raising taxes.

The Citizens Research Council of Michigan, a nonpartisan research organization, ranks Michigan 40th in the nation for road conditions and 28th when it comes to funding road improvements.

Whitmer’s first plan — a 45 cent gas tax increase — was rejected by lawmakers in 2019. She turned to a bonding program in 2020 and the state borrowed $3.5 billion to rebuild highways and bridges. The plan created a marathon of new construction projects, but local roads did not benefit and that borrowing is coming to an end this year.

Michigan’s budget for fiscal year 2026, agreed after months of contentious debate, totals $81 billion, according to the governor’s office. Democrats control the Senate and Republicans control the House. The many disagreements between the parties sent the state barreling towards a government shutdown, and lawmakers technically did not pass a budget by the Oct. 1 deadline. But they agreed to a continuing resolution, and the full budget was passed in the early hours of Friday.

About $1 billion of the package has been dedicated to funding local road and bridge improvement projects. In addition to the marijuana tax, it will also be funded by redirecting all taxes paid at the gas pump towards roads. Previously, gasoline sales tax largely went to a fund for schools.

Lance Binoniemi, vice president of government affairs for the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association, said the marijuana tax is a “nontraditional method” of supporting roadwork funding, but lawmakers recognized the urgency of finalizing a plan.

“We think this is a big step in the right direction,” he said.

Associated Press writer David Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report.

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