AUGUSTA, Maine - Two groups proposing separate citizen initiatives to legalize recreational pot in Maine have raised more than $80,000 between them in the last three months.
In its quarterly April finance report, the Legalize Maine political action committee says it's raised more than $30,000. The group's president, Paul McCarrier, says donations ranged from as low as $20 to as high as $5,000, with strong support from local businesses and residents.
"All of it came from Maine," McCarrier says. "We have 41 donors, including 18 businesses and 23 individuals, and we're completely humbled by the amount of support we've gotten."
Meanwhile, another citizen's initiative - led by a group called the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol - will this week announce that it's raised more than $50,000 over the same period.
Campaign director David Boyer says that money will be put towards hiring a field director and organizing volunteers and petitioners. Most of the funds were donated by a national group called the Marijuana Policy Project that supports legalization initiatives in other states.
But Boyer says the source of the money should not distract from the campaign's primary aim. "Ultimately, this is going to be a petition that's signed by Maine voters, and it's going to be voted on by Mainers, and that's what matters."
Boyer says his campaign has more conservative aims than the Legalize Maine effort, with a proposal to allow public possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana, as opposed to Legalize Maine's goal of 2.5 ounces.
Also, as the name suggests, Boyer says his campaign wants marijuana to be regulated like alcohol, whereas the competing initiative wants to treat it as an agricultural product.
Both groups will need to collect more than 60,000 signatures for their initiatives to get on the 2016 ballot.