Legalization of Marijuana Proposal Delayed over Public Notice Issues

A push to gather signatures on a initiative that would legalize recreational marijuana in Mississippi is being put on hold after issues arose over the notice given to officials about the proposal.

Initiative 77 would legalize cultivation, possession and use of marijuana, authorize a 7% sales tax on the products and allow marijuana smoking wherever tobacco smoking is allowed.

If passed, the initiative would replace Initiative 65, which passed in November and legalized medicinal marijuana use.

State law requires that the Secretary of State issue a general notice and summary of any initiative that could be placed on the general ballot. In doing so, the Mississippi Press Services, distributed the notice to many newspapers for them to publish, but it missed five newspapers on the list.

The notice will be published in the five missing newspapers by May 13.

Once published fully, the initiative will have one year to reach the required number of signatures needed to be placed on the ballot.