Missourians for a New Approach, the group behind the proposed constitutional amendment, announced it will begin working to collect the 160,199 verified signatures from voters needed to qualify the measure. This comes one month after the secretary of state certified the ballot title and cleared the measure for signature gathering.
Under the initiative, adults 21 and older would be able to possess and purchase cannabis from licensed retailers, and they could cultivate up to three plants for personal use.
A 15 percent tax would be imposed on marijuana sales, with revenue going toward veterans services, substance misuse treatment and infrastructure projects. According to a fiscal analysis from the state, a regulated marijuana market would generate as much as $155 million annually by 2025.
The proposal would also allow individuals with prior cannabis convictions to apply for resentencing or expungements.
“Eleven other states, including our neighbors in Illinois, have successfully regulated and taxed adult-use marijuana, bringing millions in new funding for state services,” John Payne, the group’s campaign manager, said in a press release. “Missourians are strongly in favor of legalizing, taxing and regulating adult marijuana use and we are excited to give voters this opportunity in November.”