Readers: Missouri Should Not Wait On Marijuana Legalization
A number of years ago marijuana legalization proponents wanted to put the issue on the ballot, but the statewide polling showed it wouldn’t pass. Rather than face a certain loss, they waited. Many of us who’d hoped for full legalization were disappointed by the delay, but we understood why.
Then they realized starting with medical marijuana first, as other states had done, was the way to go. They sponsored one of several medical marijuana ballot initiatives that were on our November 2018 ballot — there’s was the one to pass.
Proponents of recreational marijuana legalization in Missouri have launched a campaign to place a question on the state’s November ballot.
Backers will have to move fast. To make the November ballot, the campaign Missourians for a New Approach will have to turn in more than 160,000 signatures by May.
That gives campaign workers just three full months for signature collection; a medical marijuana campaign spent much more time in 2017 and 2018 gathering signatures. (Post-Dispatch)
With a majority of Americans living in a state with some form of legal weed attitudes are changing. Presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders has pledged to legalize weed nationwide on his first day as president, through executive order.
A majority of readers in the recent non-scientific Sunday Poll agree Missouri should move ahead on legalization.
Q: Agree or disagree: Missouri needs to wait a few years before considering legalization of marijuana for recreational use.
- Strongly agree: 6 [21.43%]
- Agree: 1 [3.57%]
- Somewhat agree: 2 [7.14%]
- Neither agree or disagree: 0 [0%]
- Somewhat disagree: 1 [3.57%]
- Disagree: 8 [28.57%]
- Strongly disagree: 10 [35.71%]
- Unsure/No Answer: 0 [0%]
I’ll post again when petitions are available to sign,
— Steve Patterson