East Helena woman aims to decriminalize marijuana

HELENA (AP) — ?An East Helena woman is trying to put a constitutional initiative to the voters to decriminalize marijuana so that it is regulated like alcohol.

Lee Newspapers State Bureau reports that Barb Trego filed the paperwork this week with Secretary of State Linda McCulloch

Trego is a 56-year-old medical marijuana patient and former Lewis and Clark Sheriff's Office employee.

State agencies must review the proposal before the petition language is approved and she can start collecting signatures.

To qualify for the ballot, Trego would need the signatures of 10 percent of the voters in 40 of the 100 state House districts and 10 percent of the total voters statewide. That's 48,674 people.

Senate Majority Leader Jeff Essmann noted that a ballot measure to decriminalize marijuana was defeated last year in California.