Backers of a proposed medical marijuana ballot measure can begin gathering signatures Monday following approval of petition language by the North Dakota Secretary of State.

Secretary of State Al Jaeger informed the media by email late Monday afternoon that the petition language had been approved.

Members of the North Dakota Committee for Medical Marijuana had their petition rejected in late October due to incomplete paperwork. The petition was resubmitted in November.

“We’re obviously quite pleased,” said Rilie Ray Morgan, chairman of the North Dakota Committee for Medical Marijuana. “The next step is … we’re going to try and get some meetings organized in Fargo and Bismarck.”

The purpose of the meetings will be to organize supporters and educate them on the petition circulation process to avoid any problems. He said he hopes to have petitions circulated by the end of the week.

As a statutory initiated measure, members of the North Dakota Committee for Medical Marijuana will need at least 13,452 legitimate signatures from residents to get the initiative on the ballot in 2016. [Read more at the Bismarck Tribune]