Initiative Referendum 124 Has the Signatures for the 2012 General Election Ballot STOP the Repeal of Medical Marijuana in Montana VOTE Against Senate Bill 423

IR124 Has the Signatures for the 2012 General Election Ballot STOP the Repeal of Medical Marijuana in Montana VOTE Against Senate Bill 423

Missoulian

HELENA – Medical marijuana advocates have collected enough signatures to let voters next year retain or reject the stricter law now regulating the industry, which was passed earlier this year by the Legislature, the secretary of state’s office said Monday.

A group called Patients for Reform-Not Repeal led the successful petition effort to put the new medical marijuana law on the November 2012 ballot.

Secretary of State Linda McCulloch’s office already had tabulated 26,778 signatures through Monday in support of the referendum and said 5 percent of the registered voters in 49 of the 100 state House districts had signed it. Those totals exceeded the minimum requirements of 24,337 signatures and 5 percent of the voters in at least 34 House districts.

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BALLOT LANGUAGE

INITIATIVE REFERENDUM NO. 124

AN ACT OF THE LEGISLATURE REFERRED BY REFERENDUM PETITION

In 2004, Montana voters approved I-148, creating a medical marijuana program for patients with debilitating medical conditions. Senate Bill 423, passed by the 2011 Legislature, repeals I-148 and enacts a new medical marijuana program, which includes: permitting patients to grow marijuana or designate a provider; limiting each marijuana provider to three patients; prohibiting marijuana providers from accepting anything of value in exchange for services or products; granting local governments authority to regulate marijuana providers; establishing specific standards for demonstrating chronic pain; and reviewing the practices of doctors who certify marijuana use for 25 or more patients in a 12-month period.

If Senate Bill 423 is affirmed by the voters, there will be no fiscal impact because the legislature has funded the costs of its implementation. If Senate Bill 423 is rejected by the voters, there may be a small savings to the State.

[ ] FOR Senate Bill 423, a bill which repeals I-148 and enacts a new medical marijuana program.

[ ] AGAINST Senate Bill 423, a bill which repeals I-148 and enacts a new medical marijuana program. A vote against Senate Bill 423 will restore I-148.

Montanans, this is your chance to tell your elected officials that you were not fooled in 2004. You knew what you were voting for! Do not let the congress dictate to us, let us TELL them what we want!

History of Initiative and Referendum in Montana

State Wide Initiative Uses in Montana

Constitution of Montana — Article III — GENERAL GOVERNMENT

Section 5. Referendum. (1) The people may approve or reject by referendum any act of the legislature except an appropriation of money. A referendum shall be held either upon order by the legislature or upon petition signed by at least five percent of the qualified electors in each of at least one-third of the legislative representative districts. The total number of signers must be at least five percent of the qualified electors of the state. A referendum petition shall be filed with the secretary of state no later than six months after adjournment of the legislature which passed the act.
(2) An act referred to the people is in effect until suspended by petitions signed by at least 15 percent of the qualified electors in a majority of the legislative representative districts. If so suspended the act shall become operative only after it is approved at an election, the result of which has been determined and declared as provided by law.