Legalizing Marijuana In Missouri?

Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander announced on Wednesday he has approved 13 different petitions to get an amendment on the ballot.  But before a petition appears on a ballot, it needs almost 158,000 signatures by May 2014.

The minimum number of signatures needed is based on 8 percent of the number of voters in the last Missouri gubernatorial election in six of eight state congressional districts.

All the proposals are constitutional amendments to “allow the production, sale, distribution, and consumption of marijuana and hemp products by persons at least 21 years old.”  Also legalized would be the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

All would allow the state “to establish a tax and authorize regulations and licensing procedures for marijuana.” In effect, the initiatives propose that marijuana be regulated like alcohol.