South Portland City Council Places Measure on November Ballot That Would Make Marijuana Possession Legal for Adults

Portland Breakwater Lighthouse after restoration (wikipedia)

The South Portland City Council voted unanimously on Monday to place a measure on the November ballot that would make private marijuana possession legal for adults within city limits.

Citizens for a Safer Maine collected more than 1,500 signatures to get the measure in front of the council, which had the options of adopting it or placing it on the ballot. Just 959 valid signatures of registered city voters were required. A similar measure has qualified for the ballot in Lewiston, and Citizens for a Safer Maine is in the process of collecting the final signatures needed to place one on the ballot in York.

The South Portland initiative would make it legal for adults 21 years of age and older to privately possess up to one ounce of marijuana. It would remain illegal to consume or display marijuana in public. The measure also includes a statement in support of regulating and taxing marijuana like alcohol at the state level.

“Voters will have the chance to take a bite out of marijuana prohibition in South Portland this November,” said MPP Maine political director David Boyer. “This is a great opportunity to have an open and honest public dialogue about this important issue. In particular, we hope to continue the conversation about the relative safety of marijuana compared to alcohol.

“Marijuana poses far less harm than alcohol to the consumer and to the community,” Boyer said. “It’s time to stop punishing adults for making the safer choice. Most people would agree there are more important things police and prosecutors could be doing with their time.”

Article republished from Marijuana Policy Project