Montana Campaign Regulator: Anti-Marijuana Group Broke Law

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The Montana commissioner of political practices says an anti-marijuana ballot committee broke state law by spending money on more than one initiative.

Safe Montana’s ballot proposal to ban cannabis in the state failed to gather enough signatures to go before voters on Nov. 8. The group also spent money on billboards opposing a separate ballot measure to loosen the state’s medical marijuana law.

Commissioner Jon Motl says ballot committees are limited to participating in one issue, and the law prohibits Safe Montana from spending money to support one measure and oppose another.

Motl also wrote in Thursday’s decision that Safe Montana was late in filing reports, failed to produce records during the investigation and did not have proper attribution on its website.

Most sufficiency findings by Motl are resolved through negotiated settlements.