Missouri is sticking with the legalization of cannabis for adults

Through Johanna Skopl

Missouri’s ballot initiative to legalize marijuana for adult use in 2022 is missing the required signatures in four of the six congressional districts needed to vote, which could bring recreational marijuana to legalization in the state next November.

The latest filings from Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office confirmed their proposal will not be on the November vote.

Photo by ChrisSteer/Getty Images

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Sean Nicholson, a campaign manager at Better Elections, said that “one of the biggest obstacles to the initiative campaigns has been the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made collecting signatures difficult and has made it difficult for large numbers of signatures from unregistered individuals.”

“It was a catastrophic failure by Fieldworks,” Nicholson added, referring to the more than $8 million paid by the two signature collection campaigns. “We submitted signatures because we thought we had what it took,” he said.

Fieldworks, a company that has conducted several successful signature drives in Missouri, including a 2020 proposal to expand Medicaid and a 2018 referendum on the right to work, said it was disappointed with the outcome.

“We share our customer’s frustration,” said a statement from Fieldworks. “Campaigns to collect signatures across the country have faced unprecedented challenges over the past two years. Our industry is not immune to current working conditions.”

However, John Payne, the initiative’s campaign manager, said he still expects the initiative to come to a vote.

“Having received nearly 400,000 signatures from Missourians who want to become the 20th state to regulate, tax and legalize cannabis, we are confident of our place in November’s election,” he said.

The Legal Missouri 2022 initiative would “expand the current medical marijuana business program by allowing existing licensees to serve both medical and non-medical buyers.”

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In addition, 144 licenses would be issued for so-called “micro-business establishments” with six dispensaries and 12 wholesale establishments in each congressional district. It would also require removing marijuana crimes from criminal records.

Election officials have until July 26 to finish verifying signatures from their districts. If sufficient, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has until Aug. 9 to issue a statement confirming that recreational marijuana will be added to the ballot.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.