I received the following update from the Marijuana Policy Project:
We wanted to provide you with a quick update on the ballot initiative campaigns in Arizona and Massachusetts that MPP is sponsoring. As you probably know, MPP was responsible for the successful campaigns that ended marijuana prohibition in Colorado in 2012 and Alaska in 2014. The campaigns in Arizona and Massachusetts are targeting Election Day November 2016. We’re very excited to continue this work, as ballot initiatives are a proven method for changing laws when politicians fail to take action. For the third election cycle in a row, MPP will be playing a leading role in providing voters the opportunity to end marijuana prohibition in their home states.
Arizona
The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol is currently collecting the 150,642 signatures required to qualify for the 2016 ballot. To be safe, the campaign will need over 230,000 signatures.
It has been a strong start, collecting over 50,000 signatures in just 10 weeks, and the campaign is now expanding its volunteer signature gathering operation across the state. The groundswell of support from voters across Arizona has been very encouraging.
The campaign has also been staying in the news: the following links show coverage of the campaign reaching 50,000 signatures, as well as a recent op-ed from a member of the campaign who is also an emergency room physician.
Visit regulatemarijuanainarizona.org to learn more, get involved, or make a donation to the campaign.
Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, sponsored by Marijuana Policy Project (separate and distinct from the Arizona campaign), filed its ballot initiative last week with the Massachusetts attorney general for review. Here is a local story about the filing. Soon, the campaign will begin the process of collecting 64,750 signatures from Massachusetts’ voters, as well as building a coalition of individuals and organizations to support our campaign through Election Day next year.
This is going to be a high profile campaign — next year in Massachusetts there will be no statewide elections (for U.S. senator, governor, lieutenant governor, etc.), and it is very unlikely that Massachusetts will be contested in the presidential election.
Visit regulatemass.com to learn more, get involved, or make a donation to the campaign.
If you want to support these campaigns with a contribution, and help end prohibition in these states, please visit the respective campaign websites and donate online. If you have any questions, simply reply to this email.
We’ll continue to keep you updated on these campaigns over the next few months.
