Recreational marijuana is on the 2016 ballot for the state of Nevada. Supporters call the initiative the Initiative to Regulate and Tax Marijuana. It would allow up to an ounce of possession by residents 21 years or older. Supporters are pointing to the drastic potential for tax money and freeing up law enforcement resources and more serious crimes as reasons to vote yes.
Nevada marijuana legalization gets official OK for 2016 ballot
Nevada’s top election official gave the go-ahead Monday to two initiatives for the 2016 ballot: One to allow recreational marijuana use; the other to tighten background checks for anyone buying guns from private sellers and gun show exhibitors.
Secretary of State Ross Miller certified that proponents of the separate measures submitted enough signatures Nov. 12 to force the 2015 Legislature to consider each issue, or automatically put the question on the general election ballot.
(Updated March 16: Nevada lawmakers adjourned March 13 without taking action on the initiative, which sets up the 2016 ballot question, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.)
The groups needed 102,000 signatures statewide, or a little more than 25,000 from each of the state’s four congressional districts. Miller aide Catherine Lu said the number of signatures was well beyond those numbers.
Nevadans for Background Checks reported delivering nearly 247,000 signatures, and the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol had said it filed almost 200,000 signatures.
