Petitioners in Maine have spent months working to obtain enough signatures to initiate a statewide vote on legal recreational marijuana. Secretary of State, Matthew Dunlap, announced Wednesday that the seven circulators have received enough approved signatures for the measure to appear on the November ballot, according to the Cannabist.

The petition organizers hit a roadblock in early March when the state refused to recognize 17,000 supporters due to signature mismatch. Activists fought a legal battle so these names could be counted, and after months of struggle they surpassed the minimum of 61,123 signatures.

David Boyer, a member of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, believes Maine is taking a smart step to regulate the drug. 

“We think that regulation and controlling marijuana and putting it behind the counter is a far better approach than giving drug dealers a monopoly,” Boyer said.

The bill will appear on the 2016 ballot and if passed would legalize possession of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for any adult 21 and older. It also includes legislation that would regulate taxing and sale in dispensaries.

The issue will now be put to a vote, leaving Maine residents to decide. For more information about the campaign or the petition, see the full story.

Collegian Green Report Blogger Capelli D’Angelo can be reached online at blogs@collegian.com.