| Graphic: Show-Me Cannabis |
Petitions have been filed with the Missouri secretary of state’s office, and it could be the first step toward the legalization of marijuana — if it attracts enough support.
Show-Me Cannabis, an initiative organized by Missourians and businesses that believe marijuana prohibition is a failed policy, filed two petitions with the secretary of state this month, reports Kim Norvell at the St. Joseph News-Press. One of the petitions would amend Missouri’s constitution, while the other would involve a change in statutes.
If approved, organizers can begin gathering signatures. They’ll need 147,000 sigs for a constitutional amendment, or 92,000 for a statutory amendment, before it can appear on the November 2012 ballot.
| Photo: Show-Me Cannabis |
| Amber Langston, Show-Me Cannabis: “I think most politicians are still living in that ‘Reefer Madness’ mindset” |
Show-Me Cannabis expects to find more support from voters than from politicians who would be asked to sponsor a bill, according to campaign director Amber Langston.
“I think most politicians are still living in that ‘Reefer Madness’ mindset, which most of us are coming to the conclusion that was simply propaganda,” she said. “As a society we’re still trying to sort out the facts, but those who have stepped out in favor of it have found pretty good support.”
Langston already has a successful track record when it comes to cannabis initiatives. She served as the campaign manager for Columbia, Missouri’s two successful municipal marijuana initiatives in 2004. She’s also worked with Students for Sensible Drug Policy in Washington, D.C., and with Americans for Safe Access in Oakland, California.
Show-Me Cannabis is asking voters to approve regulations for marijuana that are similar to those for alcohol.
Users would have to be 21 or older, marijuana merchants would need a license, and pot gardens for personal use would be limited to a 10-foot by 10-foot plot.
| Show-Me Cannabis |
There is also wording in the measure which allows doctors to authorize medical marijuana, and farmers to cultivate industrial hemp.
The initiative also suggests releasing all inmates previously convicted of marijuana possession or distribution.
To read both proposed legalization amendments, both the constitutional one and the statutory one, click here.
To learn more about Show-Me Cannabis, or to contribute to the effort to legalize marijuana in Missouri, visit show-mecannabis.com.
