Michigan to vote in 2018 to legalize cannabis

Organizers of an initiative to legalize cannabis in Michigan filed a petition with 365,000 signatures last week. The target was set at 252523 valid signatures for the referendum to be part of the November 2018 ballot.

Michigan legalized medical cannabis in 2008, but has yet to opened dispensaries than last year. If the citizens of the state vote in favor of the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, Michigan would be the 9th state in the US to legalize cannabis for recreational use.

The initiative would allow adults over 21 to carry 70 grams of cannabis and grow 12 plants at home. A tax of 10% on cannabis sales would be added to the 6% tax on sales in the state.

Josh Hovey, the Coalition's spokesman, estimates future state revenues in the event of legalization at several hundred million dollars. He also points to the 20,000 people arrested each year in the state for growing or possessing cannabis.

«More often than not, it's just adults using a plant that's less harmful than alcohol or tobacco,» he explains. «It breaks up families. It destroys communities... We can impose regulations, create a new industry in the state. You'll see not just tax benefits but jobs, less crime and let law enforcement take care of more important things.»

Popular support for the measure is quite strong. The latest polls estimate that 53% of Michigan's population is in favor of legalizing cannabis. However, the Coalition is 7 million $ short, according to its own estimates, of campaigning for the Yes side and competing with lobby groups against the initiative, including the Keep Pot Out of Neighbourhoods and Schools, which considers access to medical cannabis to be sufficient.