SALEM -- Marijuana would become legal, and the state would regulate and tax it under a bill under consideration in the Oregon Legislature.

would allow the production, processing and sale of marijuana and marijuana-infused products. Individuals 21 or older would be allowed to keep up to six mature marijuana plants and 24 ounces of marijuana at a time.

The Oregon Health Authority would be charged with licensing marijuana producers, processors, wholesalers and retailers.

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission would oversee taxation of marijuana, according to the bill. Marijuana producers would be taxed $35 per ounce. The money would go to a "Cannabis Tax Account," with 40 percent of proceeds going to schools, 20 percent each to Oregon State Police, the general fund, and mental health, alcoholism and drug services.

The bill is scheduled for an April 2 public hearing in the House Judiciary Committee.

House Bill 3371 would not prevent employers from prohibiting the manufacture, delivery, possession or use of marijuana in the workplace.

The bill is intended in part to better prioritize the state's limited law enforcement resources and eliminate the problems caused by the prohibition and uncontrolled manufacture, delivery and possession of marijuana, according to the bill.

Washington and Colorado already allow the legal use of marijuana. Marijuana remains an illegal drug under federal law.

Opponents to legalizing marijuana, including many law enforcement officials, say it's a dangerous drug.

Voters in November rejected

.

House Bill 3371 would also allow the Oregon Department of Agriculture to issue industrial hemp licenses and agricultural hemp seed production permits.

Hemp is a non-narcotic cousin of marijuana. The U.S. is the world’s largest consumer of hemp, but it remains the only major industrialized country that bans farming the product.

Oregon's two Democratic U.S. Sens.

and

are pushing

, a versatile crop that can be used a wide variety of products.

Correction: The post has been updated to reflect that employers can prohibit employees from manufacturing, delivering, possessing or using marijuana in the workplace.

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