A ballot measure that would legalize recreational marijuana in the state of Missouri will be up for voters to decide on in November. But the Democratic Party in Missouri, while typically supportive of legalizing weed, has declined to support the measure.
In a statement, Missouri Democrats say, "as written, Amendment 3 may negatively impact minorities, people of color, and low-income earning Missourians. Democrats have concerns about the expungement provisions laid out in the amendment, as well as making it difficult for those who do not currently have a license to enter the industry. "
John Payne, the campaign manager for Legal Missouri 2022 which backs the amendment, told KMOX that he's not surprised about the lack of Democratic support.
"Like most political parties, it's controlled by politicians that are in office and have been for quite some time," Payne said. "And that I think that creates a bubble around them. And they don't they don't understand what's actually popular with the voters."
Payne pointed to a recent poll showing that 62% of Missouri voters support Amendment 3. He said those numbers make him feel confident about the measure passing in November, especially since it seems to have bipartisan support.
He also explained that part of Amendment 3 expunges the records of past nonviolent marijuana offenses, with the exception of sales to minors and driving under the influence. He said that Amendment 3 makes it easier for people to get their records expunged than legal marijuana legislation in other states.
"In most states, Illinois being an example, where you have a process like that available, maybe only 10 or 20% of the people who are able to who are eligible for those expungements actually go and go through the process," he said. "But we'll take tax revenue from the marijuana system and we will put that into the courts to have them automatically processed the expungements for everyone who is eligible."
Missouri Governor Mike Parson is also opposed to the ballot measure, saying that if the state were to legalize marijuana it should be in a way that benefits individuals rather than existing businesses.
Hear more on Amendment 3 from John Payne on Total Information AM:
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