MontanaCan believes it can gather the 25,000 signatures to get it there on a $500,000 budget raised within the Treasure State.

"We're going to try to raise this money here in Montana," she said, "to make sure that Montana businesses that have worked really hard to stay in this industry (get a fair shot)."

Financing is arguably the biggest difference between MontanaCan and Coalition 406, another group aiming at recreational reefer in 2020. While Siate wants to home-grow the initiative, Coalition 406 has opened its arms to national groups with deep pockets.

"You look across all the states" that have passed recreational measures, said Pepper Peterson of Coalition 406. "Those who are willing to work with the national groups are usually the ones who rise to the top."

Peterson said "from Day 1," his outfit was in contact with the Marijuana Policy Project, a national advocacy group that spearheads such measures at the state level, and claims on its website to have played a leading role in legalizing marijuana in 11 states with drafting, funding and staffing.