Maine to vote on Marijuana Legalization in November Ballot

Posted by Sagar Satapathy on April 29, 2016.

In a significant development, Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap announced on Wednesday that the ‘Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol’ had garnered enough signatures to place the initiative on the ballot this November.

The Campaign originally submitted 99,229 signatures on Feb. 1, but only 51,543 of the signatures were deemed to be valid. A review was ordered after a judge set aside Dunlap's decision to reject thousands of signatures because the notary's signature didn't match the signature on file in Augusta.

While it’s unlikely that lawmakers in Maine will pass the proposed legislation legalizing marijuana for recreational use, the voters of the state will decide on the issue in November.

“This November, Maine voters will have the opportunity to adopt a more sensible marijuana policy. We are thrilled to finally start transitioning into the more substantive phase of this campaign." said David Boyer, Campaign Manager for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. Marijuana legalization will take the industry out of the hands of drug dealers, he believes.

The initiative would allow people 21 years or older to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for recreational use. It would also allow state-regulated businesses to sell the substance and would impose a 10 percent tax on recreational marijuana sales.

If the ballot initiative passes, Maine would join states like Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Washington, D.C to legalize marijuana for recreational use.

However, medical marijuana has been legal in Maine since 1999. As many as 24 states in the U.S. A. and District of Columbia currently allow medical marijuana use.

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