Alaska moves another step closer to August marijuana-legalization vote

[unhappycamper]

http://www.adn.com/2014/02/04/3306814/its-official-alaska-marijuana.html



Tim Hinterberger and fellow Campaign to Regulate Marijuana backers submit over 46,000 signatures for a proposed ballot initiative to legalize marijuana on Wednesday, January 8, 2014, at the state Division of Elections office in Midtown. The effort is co-sponsored by Hinterberger, a UAA professor; Bill Parker, a former deputy commissioner of the Dept. of Corrections, and Mary Reff.

Alaska moves another step closer to August marijuana-legalization vote
By MICHELLE THERIAULT BOOTS
February 4, 2014 Updated 6 hours ago

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On Tuesday, a ballot initiative campaign to decriminalize and regulate pot reached the signature threshold necessary under state election law to put the issue on the Aug. 19 primary ballot.

If the measure passes, Alaska would become the third state in the nation, after Colorado and Washington, to allow cannabis for recreational use.

Backers modeled the proposed initiative after Colorado's new law, which regulates and taxes marijuana similarly to alcohol.

Alaska's Campaign to Regulate Marijuana reached the signature threshold on Tuesday morning, when totals posted on the Alaska Division of Elections' website showed that 31,593 valid voter signatures had been counted. State election law requires 30,000 signatures. Ballot initiative backers also met a requirement to gather signatures from voters in at least 30 of 40 House districts.