By Benjie Cooper
IG: @nuglifenews
YouTube: Lucid’s Vlog
Michigan legalized medicinal cannabis in 2008 when 63% (3,008,980) of the voters approved Proposal 1. The ballot initiative allowed qualifying patients to obtain ID cards and use medical marijuana to treat their conditions.
Now ten years later, citizens will once again have the chance to weigh in on Proposal 1, but this time the vote will be on whether adult-use marijuana should be legal in Michigan. There are some cities like Grand Rapids and Detroit that have already enacted decriminalization policies.
Legislators were considering adopting and amending the initiative earlier in the 2018 summer, but it didn’t have enough support, so it was sent to the voters to decide.
The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol was able to gather the required amount of signatures to be included on the fall ballot and was designated as Proposal 1 by the Board of State Canvassers on Thursday, August 30.
Should voters approve Proposal 1, adults over the age of 21 will be able to cultivate, possess, and use cannabis for recreational purposes.
Under the initiative’s rules, adults would be allowed to have up to twelve immature plants, three mature plants, 2.5 ounces of marijuana in their possession, and ten ounces at home.
Revenue from a 10% excise tax would be collected from retail cannabis sales and apportioned to local governments, road and bridge maintenance, and K-12 education.
Additionally, Proposal 1 would legalize the cultivation, processing, distribution, and sale of industrial hemp. Individual cities, towns, and counties would also be allowed to ban or place restrictions on cannabis businesses within their jurisdictions.
