Former Secretary of State Jason Kander approved a ballot title and amendment for a petition to legalize marijuana Monday.

The petition, if passed by voters, would remove marijuana from Missouri's list of controlled substances.

The proposal was officially named the Constitutional Amendment to Article IV, Relating to Legalizing Marijuana.



According to the Secretary of State's website, the petition would:

Legalize marijuana for personal, medical and commercial purposes for persons 21 years or older

Allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes for persons under 21 years old with a physician’s written recommendation and parental or legal guardian supervision

Release all persons who have nonviolent, marijuana-related offenses from incarceration and expunge the records of their offenses

Impose a 5 percent tax on the retail sale of marijuana

Prohibit state or federal funds, law enforcement, and state, county, and city employees from being used to enforce federal or state marijuana laws

Kander stated the proposal was estimated to increase annual state tax revenues by $17 million when fully implemented with additional estimated annual state savings of $11 million.

State implementation costs would be estimated at $150,000 with annual operating costs estimated at $700,000. Local law enforcement costs could increase, according to the secretary of state's office.