Oregon voters will decide this November in favor of a statewide initiative to regulate the commercial production and retail sale of marijuana.

State election officials today announced that petitioners, New Approach Oregon, had submitted enough valid signatures from registered voters to qualify the measure for the November ballot.

The proposed ballot initiative (Initiative Petition 53) seeks to regulate the personal possession, commercial cultivation, and retail sale of cannabis to adults. Taxes on the commercial sale of cannabis under the plan are estimated to raise some $88 million in revenue in the first two years following the law’s implementation. Adults who engage in the non-commercial cultivation of limited amounts of cannabis for personal use (up to four marijuana plants and eight ounces of usable marijuana at a given time) will not be subject to taxation or commercial regulations.

Passage of the initiative would not “amend or affect in any way the function, duties, and powers of the Oregon Health Authority under the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act.”

A statewide Survey USA poll released in June reported that 51 percent of Oregon adults support legalizing the personal use of marijuana. Forty-one percent of respondents, primarily Republicans and older voters, oppose the idea. The poll did not survey respondents as to whether they specifically supported the proposed 2014 initiative.

Alaska voters will decide on a similar legalization initiative in November. Florida voters will also decide in November on a constitutional amendment to allow for the physician-authorized use of cannabis therapy.

Fifty-six percent of registered Ohio voters say that they will vote ‘yes’ this November on Issue 3, the Marijuana Legalization Amendment, according to newly released WKYC/Kent State Polling data.

Sixty-seven percent of registered Democrats and 50 percent of Independents told pollsters that they endorse the measure. Sixty-five percent of Republicans oppose it.

Only ten percent of voters remain undecided on the issue. The WKYC/Kent State poll possesses a +/- 4 percent margin of error.

The measure would initially establish 10 state-licensed commercial growing sites and commercially produced cannabis would be sold at over 1,000 proposed retail dispensaries. The measure also permits adults to cultivate personal use quantities of cannabis (up to four plants yielding no more than 8 ounces of usable product at any one time) at home.

State lawmakers opposed to the plan have placed a competing measure, Issue 2, on the November 3 ballot that seeks to prohibit state regulators from permitting the limited production of “any Schedule I controlled substance.” If voters approved both measures, Issue 2 states that the “entire proposed constitutional [marijuana] amendment shall not take effect.” According to the WKYC/Kent State poll, 54 percent of registered voters — including 57 percent of those who say that they also support Issue 3 — say that they intend to vote in favor of Issue 2.

Twenty-six percent of Ohio voters are undecided on the measure.

If both competing measure are passed by voters, it will likely be up to the courts to decide which initiative takes precedence.

Ohioans will decide next Tuesday on Issue 3, the Marijuana Legalization Amendment, and recent polls indicate that voters are evenly divided on the issue.

Bowling Green State University polling data released late last week finds 44 percent of respondents supporting the measure and 43 percent opposing it. Thirteen percent of respondents are undecided.

By contrast, the Bowling Green poll reports that 56 percent of respondents favor Issue 2, a counter-measure placed on the ballot by state lawmakers to prohibit state regulators from permitting the limited production of “any Schedule I controlled substance.”

A separate poll, conducted by the University of Akron, also reports that voters are split on Issue 3, with 46 percent of respondents favoring the measure and 46 percent opposing it. The poll reports that voters are far more informed about Issue 3 than other ballot issues, including Issue 2, which voters back by a margin of 40 percent to 28 percent (with 32 percent undecided).

The latest polling data differs from survey data released earlier this month by WKYC/Kent State Polling, which reported that 56 percent of voters backed Issue 3.

If both competing measures (Issue 3 and Issue 2) are passed by voters, it will likely be up to the courts to decide which initiative takes precedence.

This week we’ll give you updates on legislation in Florida, Louisiana, New Hampshire and Ohio. Plus we have exciting ballot initiative news out of California and Missouri! Keep reading below to get the latest in marijuana law reform this week.

California: Proponents of the marijuana legalization ballot initiative, the AUMA (Adult Use of Marijuana Act), announced announced at a press conference that they have gathered more than 600,000 signatures from registered voters. This total is far more than the required number of 365,880 signatures needed in order to qualify for the November 2016 ballot. The Board of Directors of NORML has endorsed the measure, which permits adults to legally grow (up to six plants) and possess personal use quantities of cannabis (up to one ounce of flower and/or up to eight grams of concentrate) while also licensing commercial cannabis production and retail sales.

Florida: Members of the Orlando City Council voted  4 to 3 this week in favor of a new municipal ordinance giving police the option to cite, rather than arrest, minor marijuana possession offenders. Under the ordinance, which takes effect on October 1, 2016, first-time and second-time possession offenses involving up to 20 grams of cannabis may be punished by a fine of no more than $200 – no arrest and no criminal record. Under state law, similar offenses are classified as a criminal misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine. Similar local measures have been recently approved in several other Florida cities and counties, including Tampa, Miami-Dade county, Palm Beach county, and Volusia county.

Louisiana: Members of the House of Representatives have approved senate legislation, Senate Bill 271, to fix and expand the state’s dormant medical marijuana law. Existing law only permits for the patients’ use of medical marijuana in instances where the plant is ‘prescribed.’ However, under federal law, physicians cannot legally ‘prescribe’ cannabis or any schedule I substance. Senate Bill 271 seeks to change the language of existing law so that physicians may ‘recommend’ rather than prescribe cannabis therapy. The measure also expands the pool of conditions eligible for cannabis therapy to include Crohn’s disease, HIV, multiple sclerosis, and other disorders. The bill will now return to the Senate for concurrence. Governor John Bel Edwards has expressed support for the medical marijuana expansion measure, stating that he wants a ‘meaningful’ bill that will ‘actually work.’ #TakeAction

Missouri: Representatives of New Approach Missouri, the group pushing for a statewide medical marijuana ballot question this November, announced earlier this week they have turned in just under 250,000 signatures to the state for certification — well over the 167,000 signatures necessary to qualify for the ballot. The measure, which NORML has endorsed, would permit physicians to recommend cannabis therapy to patients at their discretion, and would also permit qualified patients to cultivate marijuana or obtain it from licensed dispensaries.

New Hampshire: Members of the House approved an amended, Senate-backed sentencing reform bill, Senate Bill 498, in a 298-58 vote on Wednesday, May 11th. The amended language would make first-time marijuana possession offenses a civil violation rather than a criminal offense. The civil penalty would be limited to a fine only: no arrest, prosecution, or criminal record. Subsequent offenses would continue to be classified as misdemeanors. The legislation now returns to the Senate for concurrence. Members of the Senate have previously rejected decriminalization for several years running. #TakeAction

Ohio: House lawmakers approved revised legislation, House bill 523, to establish guidelines for those who may qualify to use medical marijuana and how it may legally be consumed, in a 71-26 vote on May 10th. The revisions outline 20 ailments for which cannabis may be recommended, including epilepsy, AIDS, and intractable pain. However, the revised language prohibits the consumption of medicinal cannabis via smoking. Such restrictions exist in three other states: Minnesota, New York, and Pennsylvania. The measure will now be considered by members of the Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee on Tuesday, May 17th. #TakeAction

A separate, more comprehensive medical marijuana measure is likely to appear on the 2016 ballot initiative. Proponents of the initiative, the Marijuana Policy Project, must collect 305,591 valid signatures of Ohio voters by early July to qualify for the November 2016 ballot. The MPP-backed measure would permit qualified patients to cultivate their own medicine and/or obtain cannabis from licensed dispensaries. You can read a summary of the measure here.

We are ten days out from NORML’s 2016 Conference and Congressional Lobby Day and we are excited to share with you the full itinerary! Have you registered to attend? We have some fun events planned and it would be a shame for you to miss out!

Montana voters will decide this November on a statewide initiative to restore and expand elements of the state’s medical cannabis program.

The Secretary of State’s office has affirmed that initiative proponents, Montana Citizens for I-182, submitted sufficient signatures from registered voters to qualify the measure for the November ballot.

The Montana Medical Marijuana Act (I-182) amends the state’s existing law to expand the pool of patients eligible to access cannabis therapy and removes certain restrictions on recommending physicians and providers. The measure also establishes a regulatory scheme overseeing the testing and distribution of medical cannabis products.

Montana voters initially approved ballot initiative language in 2004 authorizing qualified patients to possess and grow medical marijuana. In 2011, lawmakers passed legislation significantly revising the law. This spring, members of the Montana Supreme Court upheld several of those amendments, including provisions that called for additional oversight for physicians who recommend cannabis therapy to more than 25 patients annually, and permitting law enforcement to engage in warrantless inspections of the premises of marijuana providers.

The full text of I-182 is available online here. A fact sheet about the measure is available here.

Voters this November will also decide on separate statewide medical use measures in Arkansas, Florida, and Missouri.

Initiatives to permit the adult use of cannabis are pending in Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada. A Michigan initiative remains in litigation.

Summaries and status of pending 2016 statewide initiatives is available from NORML’s Take Action Center here.

With Election Day less than three weeks away we’re excited to share with you the latest polling information from states with pending marijuana related ballot initiatives, as well as breaking news from another state that may be setting the stage for full legalization next year. A summary of this year’s crop of marijuana-centric ballot initiatives is available online here.

NORML is also pleased to announce that next week we will be releasing our first ever, Governors Report Card. Inspired by our Congressional Scorecard, this report will provide a letter grade for the Governors of all 50 states. Which Governors have been supportive of reforms and which ones have stood in the way of progress? We’ll give your Governor a grade so you know exactly where your Governor stands. If you aren’t yet subscribed to our Newsletter, sign up today so you can be the first to receive the Governors Scorecard in your inbox!

Now, keep reading below to get the latest in marijuana law reform!

Arizona: Half of Arizona voters intend to vote ‘yes’ in favor of Proposition 205: The Arizona Legalization and Regulation of Marijuana Act, according to an Arizona Republic/Morrison/Cronkite News poll. Forty percent of voters oppose the initiative. The Act allows adults age 21 and older to possess and to privately consume and grow limited amounts of marijuana (up to one ounce of marijuana flower, up to five grams of marijuana concentrate, and/or the harvest from up to six plants) and provides regulations for a retail cannabis marketplace.

Delaware: A September poll by the University of Delaware shows that 61 percent of residents surveyed support marijuana legalization. The survey, conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International on Sept. 16-28, consisted of 900 phone interviews. Last year Delaware decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana, reclassifying the possession of up to one ounce of cannabis by those age 21 and over from a criminal misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and a criminal record, to a civil violation punishable by a $100 fine only — no arrest, and no criminal record.

Last week, the state’s Senate majority whip said that she would propose a bill in January to legalize marijuana for adult use in the state. We’ll have an #ActionAlert out soon so you can #TakeAction in support of this legislation.

Florida: According to an October poll by the University of North Florida, 77 percent of respondents said they’ll vote for Amendment 2, which would expand medical marijuana access in the state. Passage of the amendment would permit qualified patients to possess and obtain cannabis from state-licensed facilities. Under Florida law, 60 percent of voters must approve a constitutional amendment in order for it to become law. In November 2014, Floridians narrowly rejected a similar amendment, which received 58 percent of the vote.

Massachusetts: According to a WBUR poll released this week, support for marijuana legalization is rising. Fifty-five percent of likely voters now say they favor allowing adults to use recreational marijuana, an increase of five percentage points from a similar poll performed last month. Question 4 permits adults to possess up to 10 ounces of cannabis and to grow up to six plants for non-commercial purposes. The measure also establishes regulations overseeing the commercial production and sale of the plant.

Proponents of a Missouri voter initiative effort to legalize and regulate the therapeutic use and distribution of cannabis statewide have gathered over 50,000 signatures over the past several weeks. Advocates must collect a total of 160,000 signatures by May 6, 2018 in six of Missouri’s eight congressional districts in order to qualify the measure for the 2018 electoral ballot.

The initiative permits patients, at the discretion of a physician, to cultivate limited quantities of marijuana or to obtain cannabis and cannabis-infused products from licensed facilities.

The group behind the effort, New Approach Missouri, includes members of both national NORML as well as its state and local affiliates. To date, the signature gathering effort has largely consisted of volunteers.

Proponents sought to place a similar effort on the 2016 ballot. That effort failed after the courts upheld the decision of St. Louis-area election authorities to reject some 2,000 signatures in the state’s second Congressional district.

Marijuana law reform advocates are also presently gathering signatures for voter-initiated efforts in Michigan and Utah. A statewide initiative legalizing the use of medical marijuana in Oklahoma has already qualified for the 2018 electoral ballot.

Voters in Fairbanks and on the Kenai Peninsula (south or Anchorage) have decided against a number local ballot measures that sought to prohibit the operation of cannabis retailers and providers. Each proposal lost by wide margins.

Under a 2014 voter-initiated state law, local governments may opt out of regulations licensing the production and retail sale of cannabis to adults.

If the ballot measures had been approved, local retailers would have to had to close within 90 days. A significant portion of the state’s cultivators and retailers are located in Fairbanks and on the Kenia Peninsula.

Proponents of the ban cannot put a similar issue before voters until 2019.

Oklahoma voters will decide this June on State Question 788 — a statewide ballot measure legalizing the use, cultivation, and distribution of medical cannabis to qualified patients.

Oklahomans will vote on the issue on June 26 during the primary election. Republican Mary Fallin set the date via an executive proclamation, issued yesterday.

State Question 788 permits physicians to recommend cannabis therapy to patients at their discretion. Patients possessing a state-issued medical license are permitted to engage in cannabis possession or cultivation, or they purchase marijuana products from a licensed dispensary.

Initiative proponents gathered sufficient signatures to place the issue before voters in 2016. However, the vote was postponed because of litigation over contested ballot title language. In a 7 to 1 ruling in April, justices rejected the state attorney general’s rewording of the initiative’s ballot title, which proponents had argued was purposely misleading, and ordered that the measure’s initial language be restored.

Under Oklahoma law, the cultivation or distribution of cannabis is classified as a felony offense punishable by up to life in prison.

Proponents of separate statewide medical cannabis initiatives are gathering signatures in Missouri and Utah. Proponents of a medical marijuana initiative in South Dakota have turned in their signatures and are awaiting a review by the Secretary of State’s office. In November, proponents of a voter initiative effort to legalize and regulate the personal use and retail sale of cannabis in Michigan turned in more than 360,000 signatures in an effort to qualify the measure for the November 2018 ballot.

Today, the North Dakota Secretary of State’s office confirmed that LegalizeND has submitted more than enough signatures to qualify a marijuana legalization initiative for the November ballot.

The voter-initiated measure, organized by the grass-roots group Legalize North Dakota, legalizes the possession, use, and sale of cannabis, as well as the possession of marijuana paraphernalia, by those over the age of 21 and also expunges past marijuana convictions.

Commenting on the initiatives approval, NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri stated:

“We applaud the hard work and dedication from the campaign and countless volunteers on the ground in North Dakota who went door to door and out into their communities to gather the signatures required to put this on the ballot in November. Marijuana legalization is no longer a regional or partisan issue. Well over 60% of all Americans support ending our nation’s failed prohibition and I expect North Dakota voters to send shockwaves across the country this fall when they join the growing contingent of states who have chosen the sensible path of legalization and regulation over prohibition and incarceration.”

More information, including how to volunteer or donate to the initiative campaign, can be found on LegalizeND’s website HERE.

North Dakota now joins Michigan on the list of states voting to legalize adult use this fall, with Missouri and Utah voting on medical marijuana access.

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws is endorsing North Dakota’s voter-initiated, adult use marijuana legalization effort, Measure 3.

“NORML is pleased to support the grassroots Measure 3 campaign. With state legislators continuing to drag their feet with regard to reforming North Dakota’s outdated and failed marijuana prohibition laws, we believe that it is vital that voters have the opportunity to make their voices heard in favor of enacting a sensible and rational cannabis policy,” said NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri, “North Dakota is among the top states in the nation when it comes to per capita marijuana possession arrests, by approving this measure voters can reprioritize limited police resources toward targeting more serious crimes and they can end the practicing of saddling otherwise law abiding citizens with the stigma of a lifelong criminal record and the lost opportunities that come with it.”

“The Legalize ND campaign is honored and humbled to welcome NORML as a partner in our fight to pass Measure 3. We are excited to work with the NORML team to educate voters as to how recreational Cannabis will be a major benefit for all North Dakotans,” said David Owen, Chair of the Legalize ND campaign.

This statewide ballot measure, organized by the grass-roots group Legalize North Dakota, seeks to legalize the personal possession and use of cannabis, as well as the possession of marijuana paraphernalia, by those over 21 years of age. It also establishes a process for the sealing of non-violent marijuana-related convictions. Unlike the adult use laws established in various other states, the measure does not establish explicit regulations for commercialized marijuana-related activity, such as retail sales.

If enacted by a majority of voters on Election Day, North Dakota would be the tenth state to legalize adult marijuana use.

NORML is going to be fighting hard to help pass legalization in North Dakota, but it is going to take all of us working together to win.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO THE MEASURE 3 CAMPAIGN

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER FOR MEASURE 3

You can also stay up to date on the campaign on their website or Facebook page.

Voters in three Ohio municipalities have approved local ballot measures depenalizing minor marijuana possession offenses.

In Northwood (population 5,600), voters enacted a new city ordinance so that the possession of 20 grams or less of cannabis within city limits is no longer subject to local penalties.

Voters in the cities of Bremen (population 1,500) and Nelsonville (population 5,400) passed similar ballot proposals amending “the penalty for misdemeanor marijuana offenses (200 grams) to [the] lowest penalty allowed by the state law.”

The citywide votes are consistent with those cast by voters in past elections. In 2018, voters in five Ohio cities — Dayton (population 140,000), Fremont (population 16,000), Norwood (population 20,000), Oregon (population 20,000), and Windham (population, 2,200) — approved municipal ordinances seeking to either eliminate or significantly reduce local fines and penalties associated with marijuana-related offenses. Voters in several other Ohio cities, including Athens (population 24,000) and Toledo (population 279,000) have passed similar local measures in recent years.

New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney and Senate Judiciary Chairman Nicholas Scutari announced today they were moving away from their previous plans to approve legislation to end the state’s failed prohibition on marijuana this year in the state legislature, and are instead planning to put a question regarding a constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana before state voters during the 2020 election.

“It is unfortunate lawmakers in Trenton have elected to kick the can further down the road and allow tens of thousands more New Jersey residents to be saddled with criminal records for marijuana offenses due to their lack of action,” commented NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri “We are confident the voters in New Jersey will send them an unambiguous message in 2020: State residents are sick and tired of failed prohibitionist policies and overwhelmingly want to move towards the legalization and regulation of marijuana.”

In a joint press release, Senators Sweeney and Scutari laid out their plans:

“We are moving forward with a plan to seek voter approval to legalize adult use marijuana in New Jersey. We introduced legislation today to authorize a public referendum for a proposal that will lead to the creation of a system that allows adults to purchase and use marijuana for recreational purposes in a responsible way. This initiative will bring cannabis out of the underground so that it can be controlled to ensure a safe product, strictly regulated to limit use to adults and have sales subjected to the sales tax. We will now move forward with a plan that helps correct social and legal injustices that have had a discriminatory impact on communities of color. We can make real progress towards social justice at the same time that cannabis is made safe and legal.”

NORML will keep you updated as this story develops.

A proposed measure legalizing medical cannabis access in Mississippi has qualified for the 2020 ballot.

Mississippi’s Secretary of State’s Office notified lawmakers on Tuesday that petitioners, Mississippians for Compassionate Care, had gathered a sufficient number of signatures to place Measure 65 before voters this November.

The proposed constitutional amendment establishes a state-licensed system of dispensaries to provide cannabis products to qualifying patients. The measure places no limit on the number of dispensaries and mandates that local municipalities “shall not impair the availability of and reasonable access to medical marijuana.” The proposal further mandates that state officials begin providing licenses for retailers no later than August 15, 2021.

According to the Ballotpedia website, Mississippi lawmakers have the opportunity to either adopt of reject the measure prior to the November vote. The legislature may also choose “to approve an amended alternate version of the measure. In this case, both measures would appear on the ballot together.”

Earlier today, the Mississippi State Board of Health today passed a resolution “strongly” opposing the initiative, opining, “Marijuana consumption has numerous known harms and is contrary to the mission of
public health.”

Under state law, the possession of over 30 grams of cannabis is defined as a felony offense, punishable by up to three years in prison. The proposed initiative permits qualifying patients to possess up to 2.5 ounces (71 grams) of cannabis per 14-day period.

In 2014, state lawmakers passed legislation permitting those diagnosed with intractable epilepsy to possess certain products containing CBD. But the law provides no legal supply source for such products.

Voters in at least two additional states, New Jersey and South Dakota, will also be deciding on marijuana-specific initiatives this November.

Additional information about the campaign is available from Mississippians for Compassionate Care.

More than six in ten registered voters say that they intend to vote for a statewide ballot measure this November to legalize the adult-use cannabis market, according to polling data compiled by Monmouth University.

Sixty-one percent of respondents said that they will vote for the measure, which amends the state Constitution to permit the possession, production, and retail sale of cannabis to those age 21 or older. Lawmakers in 2019 overwhelmingly voted to place the measure on the 2020 November ballot after similar legislation failed to gain majority support in the Senate.

The proposed ballot question reads: “Do you approve amending the Constitution to legalize a controlled form of marijuana called ‘cannabis’? Only adults at least 21 years of age could use cannabis. The State commission created to oversee the State’s medical cannabis program would also oversee the new, personal use cannabis market. Cannabis products would be subject to the State sales tax. If authorized by the Legislature, a municipality may pass a local ordinance to charge a local tax on cannabis products.”

New Jersey is one of a limited number of states that will have marijuana-related questions on the November ballot. If approved, New Jersey will join eleven other states and Washington, DC in legalizing the adult marijuana use. All but two states have done so via voter initiative.

According to the poll, support for the ballot initiative was strongest among Democratic voters (74 percent) and Independents (64 percent). Only 40 percent of Republican voters said that they will back the initiative. Overall, 62 percent of respondents said that legalization will help the state’s economy, and 64 percent said that the personal possession of small quantities of marijuana should no longer be a crime.

Yesterday was election day and there was no more important day if you are a marijuana consumer or a legalization supporter. Voters in an unprecedented nine states decided on statewide ballot measures to legalize and regulate marijuana use. Click here to find out more!

The post NORML’s 2016 LIVE Election Coverage appeared first on NORML.

Proponents of a Missouri voter initiative effort to legalize and regulate the therapeutic use and distribution of cannabis statewide have gathered over 50,000 signatures over the past several weeks.

The post Missouri: Marijuana Medicalization Effort Reaches Signature Milestone appeared first on NORML.

Seventy-two percent of Democrats, 65 percent of Independents, and 56 percent of Republicans expressed support for the ballot question in the latest poll. Overall, only 29 percent of New Jerseyans opposed the measure.

The post New Jersey: Voter Support Solidly in Favor of Marijuana Legalization Ahead of Ballot Initiative Vote appeared first on NORML.

Calling the criminalization of cannabis in Arizona “a historic wrong,” editors opined: "We need to ... decriminalize marijuana use and put the responsibility back on individuals to choose wisely when it comes to low-grade substances such as marijuana and alcohol."

The post Arizona: State’s Largest Newspaper Opines in Favor of Prop. 207: The Smart & Safe Arizona Act appeared first on NORML.