Mississippi marijuana proposal hits snag over public notice
By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUSMay 7, 2021 GMT
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Signature gathering will be delayed for a broad-based marijuana legalization proposal in Mississippi because of an error in notifying the public about the ballot initiative, the secretary of state’s office said Friday.
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. It proposes to replace Initiative 65, the medical marijuana ballot measure that voters approved in November.
Mississippi law requires the secretary of state to publish the title and summary for each proposed initiative within 10 days after those documents are filed The notice must appear in “a newspaper or newspapers of general circulation” in the state.