Recreational marijuana petition passes signature requirement

ST. LOUIS -- A group pushing a constitutional amendment that would make recreational marijuana legal in Missouri said it has collected enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot but it plans to gather thousands more signatures.

Legal Missouri 2022 announced Tuesday it has 200,000 signatures supporting the amendment, KMOV-TV reported.

The group wants thousands more signatures before the May 8 deadline to ensure it has enough cushion to put the issue before voters in the November general election, said John Payne, campaign manager for Legal Missouri 2022.

Currently, petition gatherers need signatures from 8% of voters who cast ballots for governor in the previous general election in six of the state's eight congressional districts. That would amount to about 170,000 signatures for this initiative.

The ballot initiative would allow Missourians older than 21 to possess, consume and cultivate marijuana. It would also expunge criminal records for most prior, nonviolent marijuana offenses.

The initiative also includes a 6% sales tax to generate revenue for the state.