Cannabis legalization makes ballot in SD

Marijuana Legalization Measure Officially Qualifies For South Dakota 2020 Ballot | Marijuana Moment: - Kyle Jaeger:

January 6, 2020 - "A measure to legalize marijuana for adult use has officially qualified for South Dakota’s November ballot, the secretary of state’s office announced on Monday. The proposed constitutional amendment, which was submitted by a former federal prosecutor in September, would allow adults 21 and older to possess and distribute up to one ounce of marijuana. Individuals would also be allowed to cultivate up to three cannabis plants.

"The development comes one month after the secretary of state said that a separate campaign to legalize medical cannabis in South Dakota had also submitted the required valid signatures to qualify for the 2020 ballot—meaning that voters in the state will see two separate marijuana measures when they go to the polls in November.

"Under the broader recreational legalization proposal, the South Dakota Department of Revenue would be responsible for issuing licenses for manufacturers, testing facilities and retailers. And sales on cannabis products would be taxed at 15 percent.... Additionally, the measure requires the legislature to pass bills providing access to medical cannabis for patients and allowing for the sale of hemp by April 1, 2022....

“'As outlined in South Dakota Codified Law § 2-1-16, our office conducted a random sample of the petition signatures and found 68.74 percent to be valid,' Secretary of State Steven Barnett (R) said in a press release. Based on the results of the random sample, 36,707 signatures were deemed valid, his office projected.

"National advocacy groups Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) and New Approach PAC have backed both proposals.... Advocates are hopeful that both measures will be approved by voters, but they also anticipate some pushback from Gov. Kristi Noem (R), who vetoed a hemp legalization bill last year and the state’s Republican party, which actively implored residents not to sign ballot petitions when they were circulating in September.

"The reform movement could see a slew of legalization measures make it on ballots across the U.S. this year. Already, New Jersey’s legislature [voted] to put the question of legalization before voters in November’s election. Mississippi activists also submitted far more signatures than required for a medical cannabis initiative and are awaiting verification from the secretary of state."

Read more: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/marijuana-legalization-measure-officially-qualifies-for-south-dakota-2020-ballot/
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Vermont governor vetoes cannabis legalization

Vermont governor vetoes marijuana legalization | TheHill - Reid Wilson:

May 24, 2017 - "Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) has vetoed legislation that would have legalized marijuana for recreational use.... Scott told reporters during a press conference Wednesday that ... he would ask the legislature to make changes to the bill.

"'I’m not philosophically opposed to ending the prohibition on marijuana,' Scott said, according to local news outlets.

"Vermont legislators are unlikely to override Scott’s veto of the measure, which passed by only a narrow margin.

"Legalization advocates took solace in Scott’s comments, which they said could lead to a new bill as early as July.

"'We are disappointed by the governor’s decision to veto this widely supported legislation, but we are very encouraged by the governor’s offer to work with legislators to pass a legalization bill during the summer veto session,' said Matt Simon, a spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project. 'Lawmakers have an opportunity to address the governor’s concerns and pass a revised bill this summer, and we are excited about its prospects.'

"The Vermont legislature's passage of the bill was a landmark moment in the growing trend toward loosening marijuana laws. The state's lawmakers were the first in the nation to send a bill legalizing pot to a governor’s desk. The other eight states where marijuana is legal all passed their measures through citizen initiatives."

"'The fact that a bill even ended up on the governor's desk signals a new phase of the marijuana legalization movement,' said Tom Angell, founder of the pro-legalization group Marijuana Majority. 'Our momentum has now reached a point where the issue has become so popular with voters at the ballot box that more politicians are feeling comfortable enough to grapple with it themselves.'"

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/334958-vermont-governor-vetoes-marijuana-legalization
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Vermont House passes cannabis legalization bill

Vermont May Become 9th Recreational Marijuana State If Gov. Phil Scott Signs Bill - Janice Williams, Newsweek: 

May 11, 2017 - "Vermont’s House of Representatives has passed a measure that would legalize recreational marijuana. If Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, signs the law, Vermont would become the ninth state to legalize adult use of marijuana.

"The passing of the bill, which was approved in a 79-66 vote Wednesday, according to Reuters, marks the first recreational marijuana measure to be approved by a state’s legislature. The other eight recreational pot states—Colorado, Washington, Oregon, California, Massachusetts, Maine, Nevada, Alaska— plus Washington D.C., introduced legal marijuana programs following public votes.

"If Scott doesn’t veto the bill, starting July 2018 adults in Vermont will not only be able to consume marijuana legally but people 21 and older would be allowed to grow up to two mature marijuana plants at a time. Possession of up to one ounce of marijuana would also be legal.

"A nine-person team of researchers also is commissioned to conduct a study to determine the best ways to regulate and tax sales of the plant, as well.

However, it is unclear if Scott will sign the bill. The governor has been vocal about his stance on marijuana, telling reporters in 2016 that 'right now' wasn’t the time for Vermont to be legalizing recreational pot. A spokeswoman for Scott, Rebecca Kelley, told Reuters in a statement that the governor wanted to make sure public safety and health concerns are addressed before singing [sic] the bill into law....

"'The Legislature has taken a crucial step toward ending the failed policy of marijuana prohibition. There is no rational reason to continue punishing adults for consuming a substance that is safer than alcohol,' Matt Simon, political director of the New England chapter of pro-legalization group Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), said in a statement issued to Newsweek....

"Vermont would be the third East Coast state to pass recreational marijuana legislation, if Scott signs off on the law. However, nearby in Connecticut and Rhode Island, legislators also are considering adopting similar adult-use laws. In April, lawmakers in Rhode Island had their first legislative meeting on the topic of legalizing recreational pot while Connecticut’s Senate Judiciary Committee also hosted a public hearing regarding a bill that made adult use legal back in March."

Read more: http://www.newsweek.com/marijuana-vermont-legal-states-recreational-phil-scott-607891
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Dunn's Foundation gives libertarians $10M/year

This Foundation Is a Stalwart Backer of Libertarian Policy. Have You Heard of It? — Inside Philanthropy - Philip Rojc:

June 2, 2016 - "Most of the time, it’s hard to pick up on a foundation’s funding philosophy from its name alone. Dunn’s Foundation for the Advancement of Right Thinking makes it easier than most.... Founded in 1994, Dunn’s Foundation ... isn’t the oldest or most well-known funder around, but its low profile belies grantmaking of about $10 million a year, money that goes a long way in the think tank world.

"Dunn’s Foundation is devotedly libertarian in its outlook. While the foundation maintains no website or social media presence, public tax documents reveal a twofold purpose: to advocate for free enterprise and market capitalism, and to 'reduce the impact of the use or threat of force by coercive organizations (both public and private) against the people of America and the world, principally through education.'

"Since the year 2000, Dunn’s Foundation has provided major and ongoing funding to some of the biggest names in libertarianism like the Cato Institute, the Reason Foundation, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and the Atlas Society. Dunn’s persistent support for the Marijuana Policy Project cements the foundation’s libertarian status....

"Another feature of Dunn’s grantmaking is its direct support for several libertarian public interest law firms. Some highlights: the Institute for Justice ($5,910,000 between 2002 and 2013), the Pacific Legal Foundation ($3,713,000), and the Landmark Legal Foundation ($2,340,000)....

"A theoretical physics Ph.D., Dunn left the sciences for finance in 1974, establishing what is now Dunn Capital Management, LLC. According to the firm’s website, Dunn was an early pioneer of quant trading in commodity futures, applying then-new computer technology to manage financial portfolios.... Dunn ...  is a Reason Foundation trustee and sits on the board of the Cato Institute, both major recipients of his money....

"Dunn is said to maintain strict control over his foundation’s grantmaking. Despite assets of around $130 million, Dunn’s Foundation has a small, tight-knit board of trustees and few apparent staff. In addition to Dunn himself, officers include Dunn’s wife Rebecca Walter Dunn, Dunn Capital general counsel David Dreyer, and Thomas A. Beach, who is also current chairman of the Reason Foundation....

In addition to the grantees mentioned above, others include the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Americans for Limited Government, Chapman University, the Heartland Institute, and the Institute for Humane Studies.... The foundation has also given around $4 million over the past decade to the Property and Environment Research Center, a proponent of free market solutions to environmental problems and a critic of the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts."

Read more: http://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2016/6/2/this-foundation-is-a-stalwart-backer-of-libertarian-policy-h.html
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Marijuana Policy Project endorses Gary Johnson

MPP Endorses Gary Johnson for President - MPP Blog - Michael Wilcox, Marijuana Policy Project:

June 15, 2016 - 'MPP has formally endorsed Libertarian Party nominee and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson in the race for president. Johnson is one of two candidates who received an “A+” grade in MPP’s presidential candidate report card.

'Below is a statement from our Executive Director, Rob Kampia, that contextualizes MPP’s endorsement.

'“MPP is a single-issue organization, and our mission is simple: ‘Regulate marijuana similarly to alcohol in the United States.’ We don’t take a position — and we therefore don’t take into account a candidate’s position — on other issues, such as abortion, guns, gay rights, Iraq, taxes, or Social Security. We also don’t work in Canada or Portugal.

'“Of the three presidential candidates who will appear on the ballot in all 50 states and D.C., Gary Johnson clearly has the best position on marijuana policy. When he first advocated for legalization in 1999, he was the highest-ranking public official in the U.S. to do so — as the sitting Republican governor of New Mexico, no less.

'“Shortly after he left office, Johnson and I drove around New England lobbying the governors of VT and RI, the speaker of the NH House, and staffers in the NY governor’s office. Johnson is a forceful advocate for legalization and is still one of MPP’s strongest allies.

'“Legalization has been Johnson’s number-one issue for 17 years. MPP’s endorsement of Johnson was an easy call; the more difficult question is whether MPP should support a candidate who’s good on medical marijuana but bad on legalization, when the candidate is facing an opponent who’s bad on everything.

'“It’s fine if voters prefer to consider a candidate’s marijuana position in the context of a dozen other positions, but that’s not MPP’s mission. We’re narrowly focused on marijuana policy and are happy to work alongside anyone who shares our mission, whether they’re Socialists, Republicans, or otherwise.”'

http://blog.mpp.org/prohibition/mpp-endorses-gary-johnson/
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Maine SoS to re-examine cannabis initiative sigs

State declines appeal, raising ballot hopes for legal pot in Maine — Politics — Bangor Daily News - Michael Shepherd:

April 14, 2016 - "Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap won’t appeal a judge’s ruling overturning his decision to invalidate a marijuana legalization referendum, potentially clearing it for the November ballot.

"His office will now review thousands of signatures that it threw out in March....

"Referendum proponents, led by the national Marijuana Policy Project, submitted 99,000 signatures to the state in February, well over the minimum of 61,123 valid signatures needed. But Dunlap threw out nearly half for a variety of problems, and proponents appealed....

"In a statement issued late Wednesday afternoon, Dunlap said his decision not to appeal was 'grounded entirely in the goal of this office to insure that initiative questions that appear on the ballot carry with them the public integrity of a legitimate effort.'

"Now, he said, his office will conduct a further review of invalidated signatures in the effort to see if it qualifies for the statewide ballot and issue a new determination 'as expeditiously as possible.'”

Read more: https://bangordailynews.com/2016/04/13/politics/state-house/maine-marijuana-legalization-question-clears-another-hurdle/
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99,000 signatures for Maine marijuana legalization, but government tosses half

Court to decide fate of Maine marijuana legalization question — Politics — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine - Michael Shepherd:

March 10, 2016 - "Backers of a marijuana legalization effort disqualified last week by the Maine secretary of state’s office sued the state on Thursday, saying the decision should be overturned.

"The dispute centers on more than 17,000 signatures that were tossed out by Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap and notarized by Stavros Mendros, the president of Olympic Consulting, a Lewiston signature-gathering firm....

"Those signatures were among the nearly 48,000 of more than 99,000 signatures collected by referendum proponents that were invalidated by Dunlap’s office last week. Just over 61,000 signatures were needed to get the question on the ballot.

"The lawsuit on behalf of a group of petition signers was filed in Kennebec County Superior Court on Thursday afternoon. It says that Dunlap’s office acted outside its authority and asks the court to reverse the office’s decision to toss out nearly 27,000 signatures notarized by Mendros.

"David Boyer, Maine political director for the Marijuana Policy Project, the national group that managed the campaign effort, said of those, at least 17,000 are valid signatures. However, he said Dunlap’s office tossed them all.

"The lawsuit says that violated the office’s rules — which direct staff to use notary signature issues as a secondary reason to invalidate signatures — and that the office didn’t contact notaries before invalidating signatures....

"Mendros is a key, controversial figure in Maine’s signature-gathering industry: He worked on a much-criticized referendum proposal for a York County casino, which also was invalidated by Dunlap’s office last week."

Read more: https://bangordailynews.com/2016/03/10/politics/elections/court-to-decide-fate-of-maine-marijuana-legalization-question/
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