Missouri voters could see multiple recreational cannabis legalization measures on the 2022 ballot. Legal Missouri 2022, the newest activist group, submitted their own version of recreational cannabis legalization proposal on August 27.
According to John Payne, the Legal Missouri 2022 campaign manager, “there’s widespread support among Missouri voters to regulate, tax and legalize marijuana. The status quo has allowed an unsafe, illegal market to thrive in Missouri, while preventing law enforcement from truly prioritizing the fight against violent crime.
“Now is the time for Missouri to join the 19 other states to have successfully regulated and taxed adult use marijuana, bringing millions in new funding for vital state services,” he added.
Details
Under Legal Missouri 2022’s ballot proposal, adults 21 and over can purchase and possess at least up to three ounces. Currently, there is no official limit as the proposal asks regulators to set the limit. The bare minimum is three ounces under the proposal. Additionally, adults can register with the state for home growth options. Those include six mature plants, six immature plants, and six clones.
A six percent cannabis tax would apply to all purchases of recreational cannabis. Up to three percent local tax could also be applied depending on what regulations each jurisdiction sets in the event that recreational cannabis becomes legal.
The tax revenue from recreational cannabis sales would first go to supporting a mandatory provision. This would automatically expunge any record for those with non-violent cannabis charges. Any additional revenue would be split three ways. First, revenue would go towards veterans’ health care, followed by substance misuse treatment, and finally the state’s public defender system.
Activist Response
Several organizations have spoken positively about the Legal Missouri 2022’s ballot proposal. “Missouri shouldn’t legalize marijuana without automatically expunging thousands of criminal records for marijuana offenses that will soon be legal,” President John Bowman of the St. Louis County NAACP said. “We enthusiastically support this ballot initiative, which will be the single largest criminal justice reform undertaken in Missouri and long overdue.”
The executive director of NORML Kansas City, Jamie Kacz, also spoke in favor of the petition. She said the group is “very proud of the strong patient, consumer, and community protections… Cannabis reform is about more than establishing a safe and legal market. It is about righting the many wrongs prohibition has caused to our communities, especially to communities of color.”
The Legal Missouri 2022 ballot measure now heads to the Secretary of State for approval. If approved, the organization will need to collect 171,592 valid voter signatures to qualify for the general ballot in 2022. Another organization, Fair Access Missouri, is also looking to submit their own legalization proposal in the near future. As more information becomes available, we will update you with the latest.
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