On August 6, 1998, the Colorado Secretary of State issued a statement
to Coloradans for Medical Rights stating that CMR did not collect a sufficient
number of valid signatures for their medical marijuana initiative to be
placed on the November ballot. On July 7, CMR turned in
84,755 signatures on their medical marijuana initiative. The
Secretary of State takes a random sample of 5% of the signatures turned
in and validates them for accuracy. Based on this sample, the Secretary
of State estimated CMR had collected only 47,960 valid signatures, a little
over
6000 signatures less than the required 54,242 signatures.
CMR cannot file additional signatures to "cure" the signature deficiency, as the constitutional deadline for filing signatures has already passed. CMR has 30 days to file a protest to the ruling.
While we support the legal regulation of cannabis for all its uses, we have some serious concerns about CMR's proposed constitutional amendment. Although the initiative may be well-intentioned, we believe it is poorly written and may actually endanger patients rather than help them. See http://www.levellers.org/lemodel.htm
Coloradans for Medical Rightswas formed in 1997 as an affiliate to Americans
for Medical Rights. AMR is based in Santa Monica, California and
is funded by billionaire George Soros. AMR has proposed ballot initiatives
in four other states this year. AMR has failed to achieve
ballot status in Maine but has granted ballot status in Nevada and
Oregon. Their initiative in Alaska is currently being challenged
in court.
AMR proposed an initiative in the District of Columbia in competition
with a medical marijuana initiative sponsored by ACT UP (AIDS Coalition
to Unleash Power) Although AMR spent an estimated $80,000 in DC to
fight against the AIDS activists, the activists were successful in preventing
AMR from disrupting their campaign and it appears probable that the ACT
UP
sponsored Initiative 59 will be on the November ballot in DC.
See:
http://www.actupdc.org
http://www.levellers.org/dcstat.htm