Push to legalize recreational pot use in Maine takes step forward

Source: Reuters

An effort to legalize recreational marijuana use in Maine took a step forward on Monday when activists said they had gathered sufficient signatures to earn their proposal a spot on the state's ballot this November.

David Boyer, of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, said the group's proposal to allow adults 21 and older to legally possess marijuana had garnered the support of 103,115 Maine voters, more than 10 percent of the total and well over the 61,123 valid signatures needed to qualify.

"It makes a really strong statement," Boyer said following a press conference in an affluent suburb outside Portland, Maine's largest city. "Maine people are excited to have a chance to vote on this."

Maine's Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap will now review the signatures and determine whether they are authentic and valid before the initiative can formally win its spot on the state's ballot.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-maine-marijuana-idUSKCN0VA33Z