After collecting and filing 103,000 raw signatures with the help of paid gatherers, sponsors of a ballot question to to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes took another step on Tuesday to secure their petition a spot on the November 2016 ballot by delivering thousands of those signatures to the state’s election division.
Packed into a box and holiday bag, an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 signatures were turned in this afternoon, according to Will Luzier, campaign manager for Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. Luzier said the campaign has more than 69,000 valid signatures – more than enough to move to the next phase of the process – and plans to submit more to Secretary of State William Galvin’s office on Wednesday.
Luzier spoke with the News Service just before he handed in the petitions and said its “absolutely” the right time to legalize marijuana despite a lack of support from state leaders, who are also considering legislation to stem the opioid epidemic.
