Montana Drug Prohibition Initiative, I-176 (2016)
| Montana Drug Prohibition Initiative, I-176 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 8, 2016 | |
| Topic Marijuana | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
| Not on Ballot |
|---|
 |
| This measure was not put on an election ballot |
The Drug Prohibition Initiative, I-176 was an initiated state statute proposed for the Montana ballot on November 8, 2016.
The measure would have classified drugs that are unlawful under federal regulations as illegal under Montana law.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot text
The proposed text of the ballot was as follows:[1]
| “ | I-176 establishes that drugs listed on Schedule I of the federal Controlled Substances Act
now or in the future may not be legally possessed, received, transferred, manufactured, cultivated, trafficked, transported, or used in Montana. I-176 repeals the Montana Marijuana Act. The initiative would eliminate the current differences between federal law and state law with respect to the legal status of the possession and use of marijuana. I-176, if passed by the electorate, will become effective on December 31, 2016. Due to the repeal of the Montana Marijuana Act, all costs and revenues associated with the state program will be eliminated and all remaining revenue in the program will go to the state general fund. [ ] YES on Initiative I-175 |
” |
Full text
The full text of the measure can be found here.
Support
- Safe Montana[3]
Arguments in favor
Steve Zabawa of Safe Montana said that marijuana can be a gateway drug:[3]
| “ | Suicide, depression, hepatitis C because they moved up to the white stuff.[2] | ” |
Matt Rich, campaign manager of SafeMontana, said,[4]
| “ | It would make sure that any illegal drug that is currently on the books could never come here recreationally. ... And it would line up the medical part for our state. It’s very similar to what the [Food & Drug Administration] has. It has to go through a doctor and a pharmacist just like any other prescription would.[2] | ” |
Opposition
- Cycling for Sensible Drug Policy[3]
Arguments against
Anthony Varriano of Cycling for Sensible Drug Policy said,[3]
| “ | Nobody should have to serve jail time for possessing a plant. ... Bottom line is, the stuff has never killed anybody. ... If you're going to talk about safety, it's the safest thing there is as a pain remedy.[2] | ” |
Path to the ballot
Steve Zabawa submitted the petition on June 17, 2015, and the measure was approved for circulation on October 5, 2015. Supporters needed to collect 24,175 valid signatures, which was 5 percent of the total number of votes cast in the last gubernatorial general election.[5]
This measure did not meet signature requirements and did not qualify for the 2016 ballot.
State profile
| Demographic data for Montana | ||
|---|---|---|
| Montana | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 1,032,073 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 145,546 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 89.2% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 0.5% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 0.7% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 6.5% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.5% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 3.3% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 92.8% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 29.5% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $47,169 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 17% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Montana. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Montana
Montana voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, three are located in Montana, accounting for 1.46 percent of the total pivot counties.[6]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Montana had two Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 1.10 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.
More Montana coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Montana
- United States congressional delegations from Montana
- Public policy in Montana
- Endorsers in Montana
- Montana fact checks
- More...
See also
- Montana 2016 ballot measures
- 2016 ballot measures
- Montana Legislature
- List of Montana ballot measures
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Montana Department of State, "BALLOT LANGUAGE FOR INITIATIVE NO. 176 (I-176)," accessed December 16, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Billings Gazette, "Montana weed war forms along petition lines," February 26, 2016
- ↑ KTVH, "Marijuana battle heats up in Montana," February 22, 2016
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "Proposed 2016 Ballot Issues," accessed December 16, 2015
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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