Local Marijuana Ballot Initiatives and Legislation

Request for Proposals:

The grants program administered by the Marijuana Policy Project is seeking proposals for projects to reform marijuana policy through (1) local ballot initiatives and (2) local legislation via city councils, county boards of supervisors, or other local government structures. The types of local initiatives and legislation that are eligible for funding fall into these general categories:

• Change local ordinances to reduce penalties — or remove the threat of arrest entirely — for medical marijuana use/cultivation. (see an example)
• Change local ordinances to reduce penalties — or remove the threat of arrest entirely — for marijuana use/cultivation generally and/or medical marijuana use. (see an example)
• Forbid local officials from cooperating with the federal government on medical marijuana law enforcement. (see an example)
• Make medical marijuana the lowest law-enforcement priority for local police and prosecutors. (see an example)
• Make marijuana generally the lowest law-enforcement priority for local police and prosecutors. (see an example)
• Pass a non-binding resolution urging the state and/or federal governments to remove criminal penalties for medical marijuana. (see an example)
• Pass a non-binding resolution urging the state and/or federal governments to remove criminal penalties for marijuana generally. (see an example of a similar, binding initiative)

Grant applications for local ballot initiatives should include:

1. The number of valid signatures needed to qualify for the ballot and the number of gross signatures needed to insure a sufficient number of valid signatures.
2. The date on which the signature drive would begin, the deadline to submit signatures to the local government, the date by which the local government would approve the initiative for the ballot, and the date of the vote.
3. Draft language of the proposed initiative.
4. Credentials of the campaign manager and of the person(s) who drafted the local initiative.
5. The campaign strategy and list of key tactics.
6. Evidence of why the outcome of the local initiative vote is likely to be favorable. Such evidence might include demographic information, partisan make-up of the electorate, voting trends in the state, existing polling data, and so forth.
7. An explanation of the limitations of the local initiative process, including limits imposed by the state constitution, state statutes, and local ordinances.
8. An itemized budget for the initiative campaign. Appropriate expenses may include costs for signature gathering, a stipend for a campaign manager, public opinion polling, and expenditures for campaign tactics such as yard signs, leaflets, advertisements, phone-banking, and mailings. Expenses associated with legal fees, office rent, computer hardware and software, other office equipment, and office supplies should be zero or close to zero. (It is expected that the grant applicant and/or other local activists will donate these items to the campaign.)

Applicants can browse the Initiative and Referendum Institute's Web site for more information about local initiatives.

Please click here for grant application guidelines for the MPP grants program.

Grant applications for lobbying campaigns in support of local legislation should include:

1. The name and party affiliation of the city council person(s) introducing or likely to introduce the legislation.
2. Draft language of the proposed legislation, if available.
3. Credentials of the persons leading the lobbying effort.
4. The lobbying strategy and list of key tactics.
5. Evidence of why the legislation is likely to advance. Such evidence might include the progress of similar measures considered in recent years by the city council, partisan make-up of the city council, favorable statements by city council members, and so forth.
6. An explanation of the limitations of local legislation, including limits imposed by the state constitution, state statutes, and local ordinances.
7. An itemized budget for the lobbying campaign. Appropriate expenses may include a stipend for a campaign manager, public opinion polling, and expenditures for campaign tactics such as yard signs, leaflets, advertisements, phone-banking, and mailings. Expenses associated with legal fees, office rent, computer hardware and software, other office equipment, and office supplies should be zero or close to zero. (It is expected that the grant applicant and/or other local activists will donate these items to the campaign.)

Please click here for grant application guidelines for the MPP grants program.