JEFFERSON CITY • Cole County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Richardson is asking for an injunction to prohibit Secretary of State Jason Kander from certifying ballot initiatives that would legalize marijuana.

Filed in Cole County Circuit Court last week, Richardson's petition argues such initiatives contradict federal law that states marijuana use is illegal.

It also cites 15 pot legalization proposals for 2018 that have already been received by Kander’s office and opened up for public comment.

The petition asks the judge to declare those petitions unconstitutional, stating that Kander’s actions “pose an immediate threat to the constitutional and initiative petition process.”

Neither Richardson nor a spokeswoman for Kander were immediately available for comment.

An effort to put a marijuana legalization referendum on the ballot for the 2016 election failed when supporters fell short of the required number of signatures for certification.