SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – A long-anticipated campaign to legalize recreational marijuana use in the state that produces more pot than any other commenced in California on Wednesday as supporters announced they have collected enough signatures to qualify a voter initiative for the November ballot.
A well-funded and politically connected coalition spearheaded by former Facebook president Sean Parker said it has collected 600,000 signatures from registered voters – far more than the 365,000 needed – ahead of a July 5 deadline.
Stressing what promises to be a dominant message of the campaign, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom said the 62-page initiative will make it harder for people under 21 to obtain pot and easier for police to crack down on illicit sales than it has been in the two decades since California became the first U.S. state to legalize medical marijuana.
“You do not need to be pro-marijuana to be pro-legalization,” said Newson, the father of four young children who hopes to become governor in 2018. “We are not promoting something that is not already ubiquitous in the state of California.”
The measure, known as the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, would allow residents and visitors 21 and over to buy an ounce of marijuana and marijuana-infused products at licensed retail outlets and also grow up to six pot plants for personal recreational use.