Effort begins to lift Ontario recreational pot ban

ONTARIO, Ore. (AP) – A chief petitioner of the effort to get a measure on the ballot seeking to lift the ban on recreational sales of marijuana in Ontario has formed a political action committee.

The Argus Observer reports Jahmel Cooke filed for the PAC under MalheurCAN!, the same name used by the Ontario group that petitioned for the ballot measure.

Jim Forrester, an organizer for the group, says Cooke filed for the PAC without approval from the group.

Cooke says he formed the PAC to “make sure everything is good with the ballot measure.” He says an election office official told him that forming a PAC was the next step required in the process and to protect people listed in the petition committee.

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Information from: Argus Observer, http://www.argusobserver.com