Good news! Voters in 3 states rejected marijuana legalization and the false promises and hype of that industry. We commend the citizens of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Arkansas who made the sensible choice to protect their communities and the future of their children.
We have our work to do in Missouri and Maryland where voters were duped by misinformation and untruths of the commercial marijuana industry that will profit off the risk posed to its citizens.
The Missouri ballot summary will amend the state constitution to allow for the purchase, possession, consumption, use, delivery, manufacture, and sale of marijuana for adults over the age of twenty-one. The amendment would also allow individuals with certain marijuana-related offenses to petition for release from prison or parole and probation and have their records expunged; along with imposing a six percent tax on the retail price of recreational marijuana.
Maryland Question 4 amended the state constitution to allow people age 21 or older to use and possess marijuana. It also authorized the state legislature to provide for the use, distribution, possession, regulation, and taxation of marijuana within the state. State lawmakers passed legislation earlier this year to implement legalization upon adoption.
Sadly, the outrageous amount of funding for the pro-marijuana campaigns paid off for legalization. The Legal Missouri PAC spent more than $7.8 million for its campaign mostly from five marijuana investment companies and one pro-drug New Approach Advocacy Fund PAC from Washington D.C. In Maryland, the pro-marijuana campaign contributions amounted to $211k.
In other ballot news, Colorado voters passed Proposition 122, Access to Natural Psychedelic Substances. The measure legalized psilocybin and psilocin, two compounds found in hallucinogenic mushrooms, for use in therapeutic settings and created the pathway for the establishment of businesses where adults can consume the psychedelic drugs under supervision.
Finally, voters in Colorado Springs defeated Question 300, Issue 301 that was an attempt to allow recreational marijuana stores. The 114 existing medical marijuana dispensaries in that city will continue to be able to dispense only to individuals with medical marijuana cards.
