Montana Marijuana Legalization Initiative, I-178 (2016)
| Montana Marijuana Legalization Initiative, I-178 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Statute |
| Origin | Citizens |
| Topic | Marijuana |
| Status | Not on the ballot |
| Not on Ballot |
|---|
 |
| This measure was not put on an election ballot |
The Marijuana Legalization Initiative, I-178 was an initiated state statute proposed for the Montana ballot on November 8, 2016.
The measure would have legalized recreational marijuana sales to individuals at least 21 years old. It would have also imposed a 20 percent excise tax on marijuana sales and revenue would have been allocated to the state general fund.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot text
The proposed text of the ballot was as follows:[1]
| “ | I-178 legalizes marijuana use in Montana for people 21 years of age or older. I-178
allows for the commercial sale of marijuana and marijuana-infused products, subject to licensing requirements and regulations adopted by the state. Individuals would also be allowed to lawfully possess, cultivate, process, repackage, store, transport, or display marijuana. A 20 percent excise tax will be levied on all sales of recreational marijuana and deposited into the state general fund. I-178 would not prevent prosecution of individuals in Montana under federal law. I-178, if passed by the electorate, will become effective on July 1, 2017. The 20 percent excise tax and license fees are estimated to generate more than $37 million in a five year period. The state will see $10.9 million in expenditures in a five year period due to administrative expenses and higher costs from investigating and prosecuting more drivers impaired by marijuana. [ ] YES on Initiative I-175 |
” |
Full text
The full text of the measure can be found here.
Support
Anthony Varriano submitted the petition and registered a committee, Cycling for Sensible Drug Policy, to support the initiative. He said he plans to ride his bicycle across the state to gather the required number of signatures.[3]
Arguments in favor
Anthony Varriano, the initiative's sponsor, argued:[3]
| “ | We missed a chance to improve our infrastructure twice in the past four years, and conservative legislators would like you to believe that the governor’s $10 million natural disaster fund is the reason. But with recreational marijuana tax revenue covering that, legislators will have no one to blame but themselves for not improving our crumbling infrastructure.[2] | ” |
Path to the ballot
Anthony Varriano sponsored the petition to the secretary of state. It was received on October 8, 2015, and approved for circulation on December 7, 2015. Supporters needed to collect 24,175 valid signatures, which is 5 percent of the total number of votes cast in the last gubernatorial general election.[4] Supporters fell at least 10,000 signatures short of the requirement.
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.[5]
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," accessed December 16, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bozeman Daily Chronicle, "Montana recreational weed initiative blazing forward," December 11, 2015
- ↑ 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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