One of two voter-sponsored measures related to retail cannabis in Sausalito will be removed from local ballots after Superior Court Judge Andrew E. Sweet ruled that the measure is invalid because its two proponents are not Sausalito residents.

The Safe and Fair Regulation of Cannabis Initiative submitted by Paul Austin and Joseph Erich Pearson had gathered more than the required 570 signatures to place it on the ballot for the General Municipal Election on November 8. However, Judge Sweet held that the California Constitution reserves the power to propose local ballot initiatives to the electors of that jurisdiction. The measure's two proponents, Austin and Pearson, are residents of Marin City and Sonoma, respectively.

Because the measure's proponents are not Sausalito residents, the court held that the initiative is invalid and ordered the City of Sausalito and the County of Marin to "take all necessary steps to prevent the initiative from being placed on the ballot for the upcoming election."

It is unclear how the initiative will be removed from the ballot. A county elections official was also named in the decision, and the county is responsible for printing, publishing, and distributing the ballots.

Measure K, the Safe Regulation of Cannabis Initiative, remains on the November ballot. The full text of the measure and an impartial analysis drafted by Sausalito's City Attorney are available on the City website.