Groups Seek to Legalize Pot Possession in Portland

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) _ Supporters of legalizing marijuana possession in Maine’s largest city say they’ve collected more than twice the number of signatures needed to put the question up for a vote.

Organizers say they’ll submit petitions with more than 3,000 signatures to Portland city officials on Thursday to get a question on the ballot in November seeking to make possession of up to 2 1/2 ounces of marijuana legal for adults 21 and over. The ordinance would not legalize the smoking of marijuana in public.

The petition drive was supported by a coalition that included the Portland Green Party, the Marijuana Policy Project, the Libertarian Party of Maine and the ACLU of Maine.