Initiative to Legalize Cannabis in Maine Receives Approval from State, Petition Drive Begins Thursday
The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol has received approval from the state to begin collecting signatures on its initiative to legalize cannabis in Maine. The group plans to kick off its petition drive Thursday at a news conference with campaign staff and volunteers.
“We’re excited to get out there and start talking to voters about the initiative and the many ways in which regulating and taxing marijuana will benefit our state,” said campaign manager David Boyer in a press release sent Wednesday. “When Portland voted overwhelmingly in support of making marijuana legal for adults, local officials opted to use state law to continue punishing people. We couldn’t think of a better place to launch the effort to end marijuana prohibition at the state level.”
The group is required to collect 61,123 valid signatures by January in order to put the initiative to a vote of the people during the November 2016 ballot. If placed on the ballot and approved into law by voters, the initiative would legalize the possession of up to an ounce of cannabis for those 21 and older, in addition to the personal cultivation of up to six cannabis plants. State-licensed cannabis retail outlets would also be legalized.
The proposal is sponsored by the Marijuana Policy Project, which has helped lead successful legalization campaigns in Colorado and Alaska.
Tomorrow’s press conference will take place at Monument Square (Corner of Congress St. and Monument Way) in Portland, and will begin at 12 p.m. EST.
The full text of the initiative can be found by clicking here.
– TheJointBlog