The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol turned in about 200,000 signatures on Nov. 12 to put its initiative on the 2016 state ballot. The group only needed a little less than 102,000 signatures, so many considered it a safe bet. The state has now made it official.
Secretary of State Ross Miller certified the signatures on Monday clearing the way to force the 2015 Legislature to consider the proposal or to put it up for a statewide vote, reports The Associated Press. The Coalition previously indicated its intention to have Nevada voters decide the issue when they choose a new president in two years. The strategy is being used in many states due to the predicted higher voter turn-out during a presidential election.
State Sen. Richard Segerblom and the Nevada Cannabis Industry Association‘s Joe Brezny submitted the petitions on behalf on the Coalition.
“The voters in Nevada clearly want a new approach to regulating marijuana,” Brezny said in a statement.
Marijuana advocates in states across the country are gearing up for the 2016 presidential election. Marijuana legalization became a popular issue during the 2014 mid-term elections and the success of initiatives in Oregon, Alaska and the District of Columbia has emboldened activists and lawmakers, alike.
The number of states with promising marijuana efforts in the works has jumped into double digits following the mid-term election successes.
P. Aiden Hunt 