Maine Marijuana Legalization Initiative Officially Qualifies for November Ballot

After a court-ordered review of petitions that it had previously invalidated, the Secretary of States Office determined initiative supporters submitted more than enough valid signatures to qualify

AUGUSTA, ME State officials announced Wednesday that a proposed initiative to end marijuana prohibition in Maine has officially qualified for the November ballot.

After a court-ordered review of petitions it had previously invalidated, the Maine Secretary of States Office determined the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol submitted more than the 61,123 signatures that were needed to qualify.

Last month, the secretary of state informed the campaign that the initiative had been disqualified because only 51,543 valid signatures had been submitted.

The campaign filed a lawsuit challenging the decision, and a Kennebec County Superior Court judge ruled in their favor earlier this month after learning state officials invalidated more than 5,000 petitions which included more than 17,000 signatures from Maine voters that were validated by town clerks without actually reviewing every petition in question.

The petition was then remanded to the Secretary of States Office to review all of the disputed petitions and determine whether enough valid signatures were collected.

According to a new poll released this week by the Maine Peoples Resource Center, nearly 54% of likely voters would approve the initiative if the election were held today. Only about 42% said they would oppose it. The full results are available here.

This November, Maine voters will have the opportunity to adopt a more sensible marijuana policy, said David Boyer, the campagin ...