Missouri’s General Election ballot in November will include an effort to legalize adult recreational marijuana. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office certified the ballot measure led by a group called LegalMO2022. The initiative petition would let people 21 and older to use cannabis and allow Missourians with nonviolent marijuana-related offenses to automatically have their related criminal records cleared. The program would include a six-percent state tax with proceeds to benefit veterans’ healthcare, drug addiction treatment and Missouri’s Public Defender System.

According to LegalMO2022, state officials certified 214,535 voter signatures across the state’s eight congressional districts as valid, exceeding the required minimum of 184,720 needed to make the fall ballot.

“Our statewide coalition of activists, business owners, medical marijuana patients and criminal justice reform advocates has worked tirelessly to reach this point, and deserves all the credit,” said John Payne, LegalMo22 campaign manager. “Our campaign volunteers collected 100,000 signatures, on top of paid signature collection. That outpouring of grassroots support among Missourians who want to legalize, tax and regulate cannabis made all the difference.” 

In the past legislative session, even some conservative lawmakers said it “is only a matter of time” before the state has recreational pot. Missouri’s medical cannabis industry touts average daily sales above $1 million, with annual revenue is on pace to exceed $360 million for 2022.