More than six in ten Michigan voters endorse a proposed statewide ballot initiative legalizing the adult use and sale of cannabis.
According to polling data compiled by the EPIC-MRA polling research firm and commissioned by Michigan NORML, 61 percent of voters say that they would vote yes on the measure “if the election were held today.” That percentage is up four percentage points from last year, and is an increase of 11 percent since 2014.
Commenting on the statewide polling, MINORML Board member Brad Forrester said: “I’m not surprised. These results are the product of Michigan NORML’s effective advocacy for the past several years.”
Michigan NORML is a member of The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, which is backing the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act. The initiative permits those over the age of 21 to possess and grow personal use quantities of cannabis and related concentrates, while also licensing activities related to the commercial marijuana production and retail marijuana sales.
In November, proponents turned in more than 360,000 signatures in an effort to qualify the measure for the November 2018 ballot. State officials must certify a total of 252,523 valid signatures from registered voters in order to place the initiative on the November 2018 ballot.
Marijuana law reform advocates are continuing to gather signatures for voter-initiated efforts in Missouri and Utah. Proponents of a medical marijuana initiative in South Dakota have turned in their signatures and are awaiting a review by the Secretary of State’s office.
In Oklahoma, voters will decide on June 26 whether or not to approve State Question 788 — a broad-based initiative that permits physicians to recommend medical cannabis to patients at their sole discretion. NORML endorsed State Question 788 in January.
The People want legal marijuana. The Corporations don’t. Corporations outbid The People for the Politician’s loyalty. And here we are.
Yep. Money talks, and suddenly people can’t wait to sell out their values. They start pushing and elbowing each other to be first in line to accept all that blood money.
I don’t know the cure for that — corruption of the human heart. Maybe there isn’t one.
Harm Reduction is the best strategy I know of when it comes to fighting marijuana prohibition.
Use the tools that NORML provides to contact your representatives in Congress!
And, savor the victories!
Good news for Michigan and our national movement.
Texas is getting lots of buzz for marijuana-reforming Democratic turnout… and there is certainly cause to celebrate what with the first two latinas bound for Congress, one from the vacated seat of Beto Orourke who goes on to challenge prohibitionist Cruz in November.
But here’s the bottom line:
There are more than 27.5 million Texans.
Only 2.5 million Texans voted.
1 million Democrats voted.
1.5 million Republicans voted.
Unless more than .5 million registered Democrats stayed home for the primaries and intend to vote or get registered for the general election, prohibition still wins.
Even well known marijuana reforming Republicans like Jason Isaac didn’t even make it to run off against obscure prohibitionist Koch-brother candidates like Chip Roy that punch all the right propaganda button$ for Republican voters. That means either marijuana reforming Joseph Kopser or Mary Wilson have to win in November because any Republican who stands up to big agribusiness and big pharma gets scrapped during the primaries.
I’ll leave some room for hope: there is still time to register to vote for the general election even if we miss the primaries. And the Republicans who voted against Ted Cruz or incumbents are not likely to vote for them again during the general election while Democrats will more likely double down on their winning candidates, unlikely to stay home if their progressive candidates didn’t make it. And marijuana reforming Dems staying home are what prohibitionist Republican organizations are counting on.
Figuring out a way on what to do about marijuana is something that is becoming more and more popular in the state of Michigan.