Initiative 1068 organizers say they won't have enough signatures to qualify their measure for the ballot.
The proposal would have removed state civil and criminal penalties for persons 18 years or older who cultivate, possess, transport, sell, or use marijuana.
Ballot measures need at least 241,153 valid signatures of registered Washington voters to make the ballot and the Secretary of State recommends at least 300,000 as a buffer.
Philip Dawdy, campaign director for the initiative, blamed the cold and rainy spring. "We ran into a lot of problems with the mechanics just because of the weather," he said.
The weather?? Anyways, Dwight Pelz and the leadership of the Washington State Democratic Party must be breathing a sigh of relief. I-1068 was endorsed from the floor by Democrats at last weekend's state convention in Vancouver. Pelz had previously stated that maijuana legalization was not a "high priority issue" (no pun intended I'm sure) for Democrats. No doubt. Regardless of research concerning increased voter turnout for progressive candidates with both an income tax and pot legalization initiatives on the ballot this November, I wouldn't want to be an incumbent Democrat running in this year with that kind of baggage.
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