Missouri: Over 370,000 Signatures Submitted for Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative
Earlier today New Approach Missouri submitted over 372,000 signatures for their initiative to legalize medical marijuana, well more than the 168,000 required to place the measure on the November general election ballot.
In a press release sent out today by New Approach Missouri (NAM), they stated that they are “virtually certain to have well in excess of the required signatures to be certified for the November ballot.”
If the initiative is approved by voters in November, it would establish “a statewide system for production and sale of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products”. Patients would be allowed to grow their own cannabis, and “Instead of creating a short and restrictive list of qualifying conditions, this initiative puts power in the hands of a state-licensed physicians, not politicians or bureaucrats, to determine who will benefit from medical cannabis.”
The initiative “levies a four percent retail tax, and all revenue in excess of the cost of regulating the medical cannabis program will go to help Missouri’s veterans.” The proposal puts “Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services in charge of licensing and implementation, but also allows the department to contract with other state agencies when necessary for effective and efficient regulation.”
According to NAM, “All polling has indicated that support for medical marijuana in Missouri is well above 60%. Only 50% of voters is required in order for this initiative to succeed in amending our state’s Constitution.”
More information about NAM and their initiative, click here.