Wyoming Reduce Criminal Penalties for Marijuana Cultivation, Possession, Use, and Transport Initiative (2024)
| Wyoming Reduce Criminal Penalties for Marijuana Cultivation, Possession, Use, and Transport Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 5, 2024 | |
| Topic Marijuana | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
The Wyoming Reduce Criminal Penalties for Marijuana Cultivation, Possession, Use, and Transport Initiative was not on the ballot in Wyoming as an initiated state statute on November 5, 2024.
Measure design
This measure would have reduced criminal penalties for the cultivation, possession, use, and transport of marijuana.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot question
The ballot question would have been as follows:[1]
| “ | Shall a law be enacted to reduce criminal penalties for the cultivation, possession, use, and transfer of marijuana?[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 a medical marijuana 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 of Wyoming.[3]
Arguments
- Wyoming NORML said, "Wyoming’s correctional system is short on funds for dealing with violent criminals in part due to the number of non-violent offenders in the system. Each year arrests for marijuana cost the state of Wyoming an average of $23,230,000 through spending $45,626 per year per cannabis prisoner and $2,000 per probationer for activity that generates legal taxable revenue in 19+ other states."[4]
- Frank Latta, Director of Wyoming NORML, said, "All of us are just tired of the piddly stuff, the nonviolent stuff sending people to jail. And we think it’s time to end that."[5]
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 percent 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% 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.[6]
- Proponents were allowed to begin circulating petitions on September 7, 2021. To qualify for the 2024 ballot, signatures were due on March 7, 2023.[7]
- 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.[8]
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
- ↑ The Sheridan Press, "Petitions for medical marijuana and decriminalization initiatives now circulating," 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
