Those for and against marijuana say they plan to carry on with their campaigns and continue to collect signatures.
BILLINGS –Just one day after the Montana Supreme Court upheld nearly all of the Montana Medical Marijuana Act, those for and against marijuana say they plan to carry on with their campaigns and continue to collect signatures.
Both sides say they look at Thursday’s ruling by the high courtas a positive. Three separate Initiative campaigns are in the process of collecting signatures to qualify their measures for Montana’s ballot this fall.
Initiative 176 would make drugs that are illegal federally, including marijuana, also illegal in the Montana. Meanwhile, I-178 and Constitutional Initiative 115 would both make marijuana legal in the state.
The leader of the I-176 group says this week’s ruling is big and will help its campaign to make marijuana illegal.
That group was at MetraPark Friday collecting signatures near the Rimrock Auto Arena, the site of this weekend’s Super Class A divisional basketball tournament.
At the same time, the head of I-178 and CI 115 says those concerned about the constitutionality of the Montana Medical Marijuana Act can now focus their attention on the ballot initiatives and the signature gathering campaign.
“If anything it strengthened (our campaign),” said Doug May, a member of Cycling for Sensible Drug Policy. “It’s made a lot of people really mad and I know there’s been several hundred hits on the site today. People trying to find out what to do and make things happen.”
“I will say I believe it helps because it shows the the people in Montana are clearly not OK with illegal drugs,” said Matt Rich, campaign manager for SafeMontana. “They do want happy healthy and motivated families to live in Montana.”
I-176 and I-178 require more than 24,000 signatures to get on the ballot. CI 115 needs about double that amount, more than 48,000.
To qualify for the November election, the required signatures need to be turned in to the Secretary of State’s office by June 17.
