A campaign to legalize recreational marijuana in Alaska has gathered enough signatures to put the issue on the Aug. 19 ballot.
State officials confirmed Tuesday that the campaign had met the required 30,000 valid voter signatures.
The lieutenant governor’s office is expected to certify the wording of the ballot question in the coming weeks.
“I think Alaskans are watching other states, and they understand that the sky isn’t falling,” said Taylor Bickford, a spokesman for the Alaska Campaign to Regulate Marijuana.
“The effect has been money that was benefiting criminal enterprises and drug dealers is being used to benefit the residents of the state.”
The initiative aims to establish a system similar to Washington and Colorado’s, allowing businesses to grow and sell recreational marijuana.
Adults 21 or older would be able to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and grow as many as six plants. Smoking in public would remain illegal.
Currently, marijuana is decriminalized in Alaska and residents can have a personal supply of up to 4 ounces in their homes.
The state is also one of 20 that have legalized medical marijuana. However, medical marijuana cannot be sold in stores and must be grown by patients or their caregivers.
According to a poll conducted in early 2013, 54% of Alaskans support legalizing marijuana.
Source Leaf Science
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