Medical marijuana petition drive afoot

SANDPOINT — Proponents of the Idaho Medical Marijuana Act are conducting a petition drive in Bonner, Boundary and Kootenai counties on Sunday.

Chief petitioner John Belville and activist Russ Bellville will be near the Safeway in Bonners Ferry at 11:30 a.m. They will be at JoJo’s Tattoo, 6055 North Government Way, in Coeur d’Alene from 3-5 p.m. The duo’s final stop is at Roxy’s Bar in Sandpoint from 6-8 p.m.

The Idaho Cannabis Coalition seeks to bring the medical marijuana act before voters in the 2020 election cycle. The initiative would establish medical marijuana program for qualifying patients and protect participants from criminal prosecution and civil sanction.

The initiative would create a registry of qualifying patients, caregivers, growers and agents of medical marijuana organizations. It would establish production facilities, safety compliance facilities and dispensaries.

The act would allow qualifying patients and caregivers to possess up to four ounces and six marijuana plants if issued a registry identification card.

Susan Martin, ICC’s Region 1 lieutenant, said 55,000 signatures are needed to get the measure on the ballot. A 2016 petition drive narrowly missed making the ballot.

“We’re expecting it to pass,” Martin said on Friday.

So far, the group has collected as many as 5,000 signatures, according to Martin.

A petition will be permanently stationed at Global CBD at 205 North First Ave. in Sandpoint. It can be signed Wednesday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Info: IdahoCann.co

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.