Missouri marijuana advocates want to ask voters next year to legalize the drug and regulate its medical use.
An organization called Show-Me Cannabis wants to ask Missourians to vote on the legalization and medical regulation of marijuana.
Show-Me Cannabis, an association of individuals and organizations including the Missouri Affiliate of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana laws; NORML chapters in St. Louis, Kansas City, Joplin and MSSU-Joplin and UM-Columbia;Students for Sensible Drug Policy at UM-Columbia and MSSU-Joplin and Sensible Missouri. This coalition filed the measures and hopes to promote a serious discussion of the merits of repealing the criminal prohibition of cannabis.
If the state approves the ballot language for the proposed Missouri constitutional amendment, supporters would need to collect enough signatures from registered voters by next May to get the question on the November ballot.
The measure would decriminalize pot use, possession and small-scale cultivation by Missourians age 21 and older. It would also require the state to issue retail licenses to sell the drug and oversee a medical marijuana program. Sixteen states have medical marijuana programs. Activists are targeting several other states next year.
