Earlier in the summer, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft announced that a petition to put recreational weed on the ballot in November had been successfully certified, meaning that voters would be able to decide on legalizing the substance. Now, attorney and anti-drug activist Joy Sweeney has filed a lawsuit against the Secretary of State, claiming that the petition was certified illegally.
Sweeny filed the suit in Cole County, saying some signatures that counted towards the required total were not verified by local election officials.
Ashcroft's office responded in a statement to KMOX, though since they have not been officially served they said they can't comment on the specifics of the suit. But, the office said, the number of signatures and the process speak for themselves.
"The individuals responsible for submitting this I-P met the constitutional requirements as required by statute, therefore Secretary Ashcroft certified Amendment 3 to the ballot. The secretary followed the law and fulfilled his statutory duty and stands behind his certification," the statement reads.
Missouri legalized medical marijuana in 2018 with a similar ballot measure. Recreational weed has around 62% support among Missourians, according to recent polls. If the measure passes, Missouri would become the 20th state to legalize recreational pot.
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