Cannabis remains illegal in our nation's capital, despite House Republicans' best misguided efforts to the contrary. An initiative that's likely to appear on November's ballots in D.C., however, could change that.

This morning, an organization called the D.C. Cannabis Campaign submitted a 55,000-signature petition for a legalization ballot measure to the city's election board. If the group is successful, D.C.'s voters will decide whether to legalize possession of up to two ounces of weed for recreational use. According to the Associated Press, the initiative has twice the number of required signatures to reach the ballot.

Earlier this year, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray signed a bill that would make pot possession punishable only by a $25 fine. In an effort to block the measure, House Republicans passed a spending bill that forbids the city from using any funds for decriminalization.

If the so-called Harris amendment goes into effect — and it's unclear whether it actually will, as the Senate has not yet created a companion bill — it would stymie the ballot initiative, as well. According to a Washington Post poll, eighty percent of D.C. residents are in favor of decriminalization or legalization.

[Image via AP]