Understandably, COVID-19 complicated the process of legalizing cannabis for states that have yet to do so. While more than two thirds of American States legalized the sale and use of cannabis for medicinal and/or recreational purposes before the pandemic’s onset, other states were slower to reach this milestone. Many advocates remained undeterred by obstacles to the legalization process. Unfortunately, social distancing created unprecedented barriers which undoubtedly complicated the road to cannabis legalization for many U.S. states. Cannabis-related campaigns stalled or stopped altogether in many locations stalled or stopped altogether in the months preceding 2020’s election – including those in Idaho, Ohio, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Nebraska. Advocates in these affected areas announced their resolution to continue legalization efforts in 2021. Other states weren’t so easily deterred by the unexpected virus – including the historically right-leaning state of Montana, where advocates continued working tirelessly toward cannabis legalization in the coming year.
What Safety Precautions Are In Place?
Montana’s prohibitionist district attorney blocked the organization New Approach Montana (NAM) from using electronic signature collection to put legalization on the Montana state ballot in November of 2020. Regardless, the pro-cannabis collective remained motivated. In the past few weeks, Montana’s statewide social distancing measures have slowly been coming to a close, prompting a ramped-up effort to collect signatures in person from the state’s citizens. However, while the virus remained prominent on our collective radar, the group enacted several safety precautions to help mitigate COVID-19’s spread and put the minds of both citizens and employees at ease. NAM required its employees to use disposable pens and gloves for each signee, and required confirmation of a healthy body temperature for each canvasser before any scheduled workday could begin. They also required canvassers to wear masks for the entirety of each shift.
While the organization’s determination was admirable, even NAM representatives conceded that they faced an uphill battle. The group had until June 19th, 2020 to gather the minimum amount of signatures for the two separate bills they’re endorsing for either to proceed to the November 2020 ballot. The first bill – I-190 – aimed to legalize cannabis statewide, which requires at least 25,000 signatures to proceed to a public vote. The second bill – CI-118 – aimed to set the minimum age for recreation use at 21 years or older. Because this measure required constitutional amendment, it required at least 50,000 signatures to continue to the next stage.
Why the Intense Precautions?
Leafly’s team of writers interviewed Pepper Peterson, the political director for New Approach Montana, to gain insight into the mindset of their campaign and the precautions they’ve chosen to implement. Peterson explained that the Governor’s standards for restaurants and other facilities guided their standards for campaign employees. The organization also reached out to public health officials and doctors before they determined the best standards of practice for their representatives to follow.
Peterson acknowledged that the requirements were a bit extreme, and he empathized with the employees who struggled to uphold them. However, the advocacy group collectively determined that the strict protocols were a means to an end for the safety of all individuals in the signature-collection process. “It’s not like we’re just putting people into harm’s way; we wouldn’t do this if we didn’t think it was safe” explained Peterson in spring of 2020. “I feel for the guys who are wearing masks out there for eight hours a day gathering signatures. But right now, this is what we feel is necessary. It does create new complications and expenses.”
Unlike many other American states, Montana doesn’t have a sales tax. Between the reduced revenue following coronavirus’s statewide closures and Montana’s increasing population, proponents of legalization felt that there had never been a better time to legalize recreational and medical cannabis. In fact, recreational cannabis sale within the state of Montana had a projected revenue of more than $35 million dollars annually with approximately 20% sales tax collected by 2025. Montana State’s governor’s office has stated that recreational cannabis could generate approximately fifty million dollars in tax revenue within its first five years, which is no laughing matter given previous financial downturns in the state (and throughout the nation). Regardless of their stance on the “devil’s lettuce,” many citizens acknowledged that legal cannabis sale could prove remarkably beneficial for the state’s most vital programs and benefit the public in a variety of crucial ways.
Is This Legalization Measure Good for Montana?
Ultimately, Peterson and fellow NAM representatives claimed to have their fellow citizens best interests at heart. “We need to be sure to put money where Montanans would appreciate it. Hopefully the legislature sees those as a guidepost to follow when they allocate the money.” The continuation of the group’s pro-cannabis campaign was admittedly controversial in some regions. However, Peterson remained devoted to the work he’s doing to legalize cannabis within his home state. “I’ve never been more proud to be a part of something. We’re doing something that’s going to make a difference in people’s lives—not just in terms of social justice reform but in terms of someone’s daily quality of life.”
Victory
Despite the significant difficulties in the months preceding the 2020 election, Montana citizens voted to approve both I-190 and CI-118 – joining the ranks of American states with recreational cannabis available to customers aged 21 and over. While these measures’ original scope was reduced by the 2021 passage of House Bill 701, their joint passage despite tremendous obstacles was nevertheless celebrated as a triumph by its proponents nationwide. The increase in public education surrounding the substance and subsequent destigmatization inspired hope in Peterson and countless other cannabis advocates.
For up-to-date information on cannabis legalization throughout the United States, please visit the following guide to marijuana’s legality by state.
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