Maine Lawmakers Seek To Stop City Voters From Depenalizing Pot

http://www.hightimes.com/read/maine-lawmakers-seek-stop-city-voters-depenalizing-pot



Maine Lawmakers Seek To Stop City Voters From Depenalizing Pot
By Paul Armentano · Wed Feb 04, 2015

Voters in Portland, Maine, the Pine Tree State’s largest city, made history in 2013 when they decided in favor of a municipal initiative legalizing the personal possession of marijuana by adults. Portland was the first ever east coast city to approve such a local depenalization measure, but it was not the last. In November, residents of South Portland similarly decided in favor of local legalization at the ballot box.

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In response to local activists’ success at the ballot box, a coalition of 10 House and Senate members has introduced legislation to halt democracy in its tracks.

Earlier this month, they sponsored LD 167: An Act To Prohibit a Municipality from Holding a Referendum To Legalize the Recreational Use of Marijuana. The proposed measure seeks to do exactly what its title says.

As introduced, the act seeks to amend state election laws by forbidding municipal voters from deciding issues pertaining to the legalization the adult use of marijuana at the ballot—or even considering the subject at a town meeting.