We note the achievement is all the more impressive given it’s been managed entirely by a small number of folks who’ve never been involved in such a complex endeavor, further demonstrating that it’s struck a real chord in the state and basically sold itself.
Excerpts:
“The initiative to legalize medical cannabis is within 1,000 signatures of qualifying for November’s ballot.
According to the Utah Elections office, organizers for the Utah Medical Cannabis Act have more than 133,000 verified signatures, more than the 113,000 needed to get on the ballot. Organizers have turned in a total of 172,000 signatures, but nearly 40,000 have been determined to be invalid.
However, organizers must also get signatures equal to 10% of the last presidential vote in 26 of Utah’s 29 Senate districts.
The initiative has crossed that threshold in 24 Senate districts. [With a week left] according to a UtahPolicy.com review of the numbers, they still must gather:
SD24 – 2,789 more signatures
SD26 – 1,436
SD27 – 858
SD28 – 3,075
SD29 – 96
Given the above numbers, it’s not certain they’ll meet the 10% requirement in all 29, but should get there in SD27 and SD29.”
The rest of the article is about other initiatives which seem likely to fall short, except for possibly the first below, meaning the cannabis initiative is looking to be the only one likely on the fall ballot.
However FYI:
“Of the remaining proposals, Count My Vote seems to have the best chance Backers have submitted over 107,000 signatures, of which 90,000 have been validated. CMV has met the 10% requirement in 5 Senate Districts so far.
The Better Boundaries proposal, which establishes an independent redistricting commission, has met the 10% mark in three Senate districts, but is way off the mark in several others. Organizers have turned in 66,000 valid signatures.
The Utah Decides Healthcare Act, which would have the state fully expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, has also hit the 10% target in three Senate Districts, but is behind in quite a few others. Proponents have submitted just over 58,000 signatures.
The Keep My Voice proposal, which aims to eliminate the signature-gathering route to the primary ballot for candidates, has not submitted any signatures.
Signatures for the various ballot initiatives must be submitted by the close of business one week from Monday.”
In any event, it won’t be long before know if the campaign for a real medicinal cannabis program will be on the ballot!
More data in the article.
#MMJ #UTpol #Initiative #UMCI #UtahNext #TRUCE
See full article – Medical marijuana proposal on the cusp of qualifying for November’s ballot