People from New Approach Oregon, advocates for medical marijuana legalization, have collected over 145,000 collected signatures. They believe this will place the issue of legalizing marijuana in the state before voters in November. “We are confident that our measure to regulate, legalize and tax marijuana will qualify for the November ballot and that Oregonians are open to the case for a smarter and more responsible approach to marijuana,” Peter Zuckerman, spokesman for New Approach Oregon, said in a statement Wednesday. To get on the ballot in Oregon, they need to turn in 87,213 valid voter signatures by July 3. Because it is anticipated that approximately one third of the collected signature won’t be valid, New Approach Oregon wanted to collect a lot more then needed. After they place the collected signatures, the state has time until August to validate them.
Major boost for the movement
A week ago New Approach Oregon celebrated surpassing the goal of collecting 100,000 signatures. It sure seems as if they are on the right path to make Oregon one of the next states which will make marijuana legal. The initiative called the Control, Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana and Industrial Hemp Act would regulate marijuana sales and possession for adults over 21 years old. If passed, it would allow for personal possession by adults of up to eight ounces of marijuana and growing up to four plants. Sales of marijuana would be subject to a flat tax of $35 per ounce for marijuana flowers; $10 per ounce of marijuana leaves, and $5 per immature cannabis plant.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon has backed the marijuana initiative. In a recent announcement they vowed to endorse the campaign to regulate, legalize and tax marijuana. “We need to stop wasting taxpayer dollars arresting and searching people in Oregon just because they use marijuana,” said David Fidanque, executive director of the ACLU of Oregon. “Prohibition hasn’t worked and it never will. It’s time to be honest about that and take a path that makes sense.”
Leaders of the New Approach Oregon group believe this endorsement will help them to get the ballot initiative passed in November. They said in a statement they would submit the petition to the Oregon Secretary of State’s office in Salem on Thursday, July 3.
Oregon voters are likely to approve marijuana legalization
According to a recent Survey USA poll 57% of voters in Oregon support a proposal to tax, regulate and legalize marijuana for recreational use. Let us remind you that Oregon has already decriminalized cannabis and legalized it for medical use. An earlier legalization effort, which was poorly coordinated and widely mocked inside the state, failed in 2012.
