On Tuesday Missouri’s Secretary of State approved the legalization of marijuana for recreational to be on the ballot in November.
Chip Sheppard is a local attorney and has been a marijuana advocate since 2013. He said that this being on the ballot is going to show how having something like a cannabis-related charge removed from your record, can open doors for minority and underrepresented groups in Missouri.
“If you are a person of color, you are 2.6 times more likely to get arrested for marijuana possession than if you’re white. and in some Missouri counties, it’s ten times more,” said Sheppard.
“So that is going to go away, which is, you know, I think a great benefit to the state.”
If this is passed in the November election, it will remove state restrictions on adults over 21 for personal use and allow those who have committed certain non-violent marijuana-related felonies to ask for their release from prison, parole, or probation and have their records cleaned.
It would also put a 6% tax on marijuana’s retail cost to support various programs. Other members of the community say they are ready for the election and are hopeful for the outcome.