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Wyoming Medical Marijuana Initiative (2024)
| Wyoming Medical Marijuana Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 5, 2024 | |
| Topic Marijuana | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
The Wyoming Medical Marijuana Initiative was not on the ballot in Wyoming as an initiated state statute on November 5, 2024.
Measure design
This measure would have authorized the Wyoming Liquor Division to provide for a medical marijuana program.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot question
The ballot question would have been as follows:[1]
| “ | Shall a law be enacted authorizing the Wyoming Liquor Division to regulate the cultivation, sale, and use of medical marijuana for medical treatment?[2] | ” |
Full text
The full text is available here.
Support
Compassionate Options Wyoming (COW) led the campaign in support of the initiative.
The initiative, as well as an initiative to reduce criminal penalties for marijuana use and possession, was sponsored by the Wyoming chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), Wyoming Patients Coalition, TRUCE, and the Libertarian Party of Wyoming.[3]
Arguments
- Wyoming NORML said, "Medical cannabis provides symptom relief and disease abatement for many disorders including but not limited to: multiple sclerosis (MS), Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS), AIDS, cancer, seizures, Alzheimer’s/dementia, PTSD, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, nausea/wasting, muscle spasticity, depression, anxiety, sleeplessness and more. Multiple studies published in peer reviewed journals and the National Institute on Drug Abuse demonstrate that the passage of state medical cannabis laws have not increased rates of use among the youth. Passage of medical marijuana laws has resulted in decreased Medicare Part D spending in those states saving $165 million in 2013 alone. In legal states prescriptions dropped for drugs used to treat depression, anxiety, nausea, pain, seizures, psychosis, sleep disorders and muscle spasticity. WY NORML is working to encourage the agricultural, manufacturing, and economic development of hemp/cannabis as a valuable Wyoming resource."[4]
Opposition
Ballotpedia did not identify committees, organizations, or individuals opposing the ballot initiative. If you are aware of any opponents or opposing arguments, please send an email with a link to editor@ballotpedia.org.
Path to the ballot
The state process
In Wyoming, the number of signatures required to qualify an initiated state statute for the ballot is equal to 15% of the total ballots cast in the previous general election. As soon as petition sponsors have received the petition form from the state, they have 18 months to collect signatures and file their petitions, which provides an initiative-specific deadline for each initiative. To reach a specific election ballot, however, signatures must be submitted prior to the convening of the legislative session immediately prior to the targeted election.
The requirements to qualify this measure for the 2024 ballot were:
- Signatures: 41,776 valid signatures
- Deadline: Petitions may circulate for up to 18 months. The final signature deadline regardless of when a petition was cleared to circulate is early February of the targeted election year.
The secretary of state counts and verifies each signature. In order to qualify an initiative for the ballot, 15 percent of qualified voters in two-thirds (16) of the state's 23 counties.
Details about the initiative
- The initiative was sponsored by the Wyoming chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), Wyoming Patients Coalition, TRUCE, and the Libertarian Party.[5]
- Proponents were allowed to begin circulating petitions on September 7, 2021. To qualify for the 2024 ballot, signatures were due on March 7, 2023.[6]
- On March 1, 2023, Wyoming NORML announced that 48,687 were collected for the measure, more than the 41,776 required signatures. In order to qualify an initiative for the ballot, with signatures from 15% of voters in two-thirds (16) of the state's 23 counties. The distribution requirement was met in 14 counties, therefore the initiative did not qualify for the ballot.[7]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Oil City News, "WYOMING NORML CLAIMS MARIJUANA ARRESTS COST STATE ~$23 MILLION PER YEAR," accessed August 19, 2021
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Wyoming NORML, "Home," accessed August 19, 2021
- ↑ Wyoming NORML, "Talking points flyer," accessed September 14, 2021
- ↑ Wyoming NORML, "Home," accessed August 19, 2021
- ↑ Wyoming Secretary of State, "Initiatives and referendum," accessed September 14, 2021
- ↑ Marijuana Moment, "Two Wyoming Marijuana Initiatives Fail To Qualify For 2024 Ballot, But Advocates Will Try Again," accessed March 6, 2023
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