Supporters of a medical marijuana ballot initiative are asking Montana’s top political cop to penalize the efforts of a group opposing their work.
Montana Citizens for I-182, a ballot issue group supporting the proposal to expand medical marijuana in the state, filed the complaint with the Commissioner of Political Practices Wednesday afternoon.
The complaint is against another ballot issue committee, Safe Montana. That group failed to get enough signatures to put their initiative on the ballot. It would have made all marijuana illegal in the state.
Supporters of medical marijuana say Safe Montana is now improperly spending money to oppose their initiative.
Montana law requires groups to publicly state if they are a ballot issue group, and if they are a group supporting or opposing certain issues.
Safe Montana’s Steve Zabawa:
"In early July my attorney filed a expansion of our mission, and it states specifically that we’re opposed to I-182, no to pot shops on the corner."
Safe Montana’s most recent Statement of Organization form filed with the state says their purpose is to support their own initiative, I-176. It does not list any details about opposing I-182.
