More signatures needed to put recreational marijuana on the ballot in Missouri this November

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - The group Legal Missouri 2022 has reached 200,000 signatures but they are looking for more ahead of the May 8 deadline to ensure voters can cast their ballot on whether or not to legalize adult-use recreational marijuana.

“While the number of signatures collected already exceeds the legal minimum required to qualify for the ballot, our campaign will continue to collaborate with voters in the coming days and weeks to collect the tens of thousands of additional signatures needed to ensure our proposal exceeds the required threshold,” said John Payne, campaign manager for Legal Missouri 2022.

The ballot initiative would allow Missourians over 21 to possess, consume, and cultivate marijuana. There would be a six percent sales tax that could generate up to $40 million for the State of Missouri.

Currently there are 177,466 patients in Missouri with medical marijuana cards and the number continues to grow each month. The medical marijuana industry in Missouri just topped $30 million in sales in the month of March, a new record. That means there’s roughly $1 million being spent every day in Missouri.

But cultivators like Daybreak Cannabis say if recreational passes, that number could grow threefold.

“It proves the plant benefits everybody, you’re not going to continue to buy a product that doesn’t help you,” said Kyle Lenzen with Daybreak Cannabis, one of the 47 cultivation facilities in the state.

They have a massive facility in south St. Louis County where they are harvesting every week. Each harvest yields 200-300 pounds of dried flower. The product is then sold as flower at dispensaries or turned into other products like vape cartridges or edibles.

In addition to legalizing adult-use marijuana, the ballot initiative would also expunge criminal records for most prior, nonviolent marijuana offenses.

If they gather enough signatures for it to be on the November ballot and it passes, Missourians could purchase marijuana without a medical card by early 2023.

Volunteers will be collecting voter signatures at the following Mission Taco locations on Wednesday, April 20, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Soulard (908 Lafayette Ave.) Central West End (398 N. Euclid Ave.) Delmar Loop (6235 Delmar Blvd.) Kirkwood (105 E. Jefferson Ave.) Streets of St. Charles (1650 Beale St., Suite 130)

Copyright 2022 KMOV. All rights reserved.