Election officials today confirmed that proponents of a statewide ballot measure, The Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act, have gathered a sufficient number of signatures from registered voters to place it on the electoral ballot this November.
Proponents of the voter-initiated measure, The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, submitted more than 360,000 signatures to qualify it for the November 2018 ballot. The initiative permits those over the age of 21 to grow and possess personal use quantities of cannabis and related concentrates, while also licensing activities related to the commercial marijuana production and retail marijuana sales.
According to statewide polling commissioned by Michigan NORML, which is a leading member of the Coalition, 61 percent of voters say that they intend to vote yes on the measure.
Voters in other states will also be deciding on marijuana-related ballot questions later this year. Oklahomans will decide in June on State Question 788, which permits qualified patients to access and cultivate marijuana for therapeutic purposes. Utah voters are also expected to decide on a narrower medicalization measure in November, though officials have yet to officially certify that measure for the ballot. Proponents of a medical marijuana measure in Missouri have surpassed the number of signatures required to place it on the November ballot, well ahead of the state’s May 6 deadline. In South Dakota, officials have confirmed that proponents of a 2018 medical use initiative failed to gather the necessary number of signatures to qualify for November’s ballot.
MY STATE!:-D Great work, positive feedback here in Monroe County, too! Sabet, Healthy MI, Virginia SAM gunning for us though, soon. I have to run, but had to post, lol. Love it. More later….but so happy. To legalization……to the FUTURE!!!!:D Best, all! M
Hey everyone….found a family laptop to type as much as I can for now on this update until I can post again, lol. My posts over the last several months have been brief and scarce because I have to save up for a new computer still, even though I have wanted to post more frequently, lol. But I hope to fix this ASAP, and I know it have said this over and over again, so I will move on…
But this is great news indeed. MI NORML in my state has done outstanding work, a real team effort, and the opposition this time is minimal. There are thoughts that the MI GOP, which leads the legislature presently, might try and craft their own marijuana bill, or just allow this to make the ballot due to the need to protect some of their seats in the state government.
You will recall the failed 2016 effort to make the ballot due to the signature issue. Norm Shinkle, who was then the deputy GOP leader, owns a flower shop right in Temperance, MI, near my grandparents, they tried to catch him as he rushed out of the room in 2016, and I think his lack of voting may have had something to do with it. I have also read on the Detroit News about Sabet saying he expected this, and also about the SAM Virginia chapter (why Virginia SAM, I do not yet know) funding the effort to defeat MI NORML at the ballot. Probably going to use the same scare tactics they pulled in Ohio, this time focusing on children, gummies, families, all that. Sabet does not know when to QUIT. For someone supposedly so well-educated…a shame, too, Obama Admin….legalization, I daresay, is one of the only surviving progressive measures left from those years.
Continued in next post….
*they*, who tried to catch Norm Shinkle, being NOT my grandparents, but those in the room at the Leglislature bldg. at the time, lol.
HAD to correct that. My grandparents are in their 80’s, and, while still active, were not doing any running in Lansing at the time, lol. So that is an edit. M
But yes, this is great news. ALSO
As I am rarely on and the TV Internet makes typing VERY slow, my posts have been limited and short, but I have wanted to say also:
I was encouraged the other day watching Sessions on CSPAN3. The senator from Hawaii and Murkowski of Alaska both questioned Sessions again on marijuana….frankly, I am pleased with what I personally am hearing….
Guys and gals, I know I might catch some flak for this, we all are frustrated with Sessions or were, but….let’s just say, I really at this point think Sessions has realized possibly for some time now it is totally useless at this point trying to stop legalization. He is so far beyond winning outside of maybe SCOTUS and his resources crisis it is a joke. Hell, even some Republicans may be starting to wake up to the reality that legalization, outside of repealing the Federal Prohibition law, is a done deal. There will probably be some diehard conservative states who will oppose legalization for a long time….
“\/” “Whosoever postureth before you as a Conservative, ASK FIRST what they propose to conserve.”
I, for one, would like to “conserve” our planet by legalizing hemp and marijuana.
Zabewa’s Montana, Lankfort (heard him about “evolving” on marijuana at the Sessions hearing, and was not pleased at all, as he and his state of Oklahoma (remember Pruitt?) also needs to evolve, Nebraska as well…you should have seen Nebraska, OK, and Kansas on 420, at least the first two states mocking the holiday and Nebraska with large weed busts per usual instead of legalizing..
But, long post shortened for now….I am so pleased with this….there was positive feedback in my county and local town on this issue on the news. We need a Midwestern state badly….
Folks…we have made SO MUCH progress, and are this year….it is a beautiful thing to be winning, and perhaps this year we can start working on the Federal law change. Heck, even The Daily Ledger on ultra-conservative OAN was talking about marijuana today! Great job, Sens. Gardner, Schumer, Sanders, Booker, Murkowski, Schatz, all the others I am leaving out…..Blumenthal, all in government who are busting a$@ to get this done….we have so much more to do..
I am getting that stupid laptop battery replaced ASAP, I miss being more involved on here in posting and have missed too many post opportunities, lol….
Legalization is going to be great for Michigan. Nice that my state will FINALLY embrace the road to a greater and more HUMAN, progressive future, hopefully on other issues as well when a better government is in office in our country.
It was a beautiful day today, the sun was shining and the skies were blue. It was a beautiful day in Michigan today, and, with legalization, a greater future is to come.
Later, all, and blessings. Let’s make 2018 the year when legalization fully triumphs.
Matt
I’m with you Matt. Here’s hoping 2018 and 2019 bring good news!
they will, Bud! 🙂
This will be the “domino” to get other Midwestern states to enact legislation.
agree, James!
Oh, and really quick, one last thing before this comp. dies on me….
nice how MI is the epicenter state right now in legalization! Here is that Detroit article and statement from the opposition…their Fed. v. state arguement or court case will FAIL and we all know that. They will probably take the issue to court…MI could be a huge state in resolving the Fed. v. state issue. Have to run, much more I want to say though, but must solve tech problem, lol.
M
The article AND OUR OPPOSITION’S STATEMENT, and Sabet, HERE:
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2018/04/26/ballot-legalized-pot-prevailing-wage/34266617/
More soon, and much more I will be saying later!
Matt
Alright Michigan! Let’s do this!
Bummer for South Dakota, but don’t give up. There is change in the air. There is hope! Try again! The prohibitionists aren’t going down without a fight, but they are going down!
yes, Dain, they are. And this time for good.
Love the crossroads sign, Paul, Bone Thugs song in my head, lol. Listen to the bell in MI, Prohibition, it tolls for thee. Undertaker, lol
The person who opens a store at the first exit on I94 in Berrien county will make MILLIONS their first year.. Downtown Chicago is only 1 hour down the I94 freeway
or we could just get Illinois to legalize as well, which little doubt will happen once Michigan does!
Michigan PLEASE make sure you are using reputable notaries. Do criminal background checks. If youre not expecting litigation in court youre not taking this initiative seriously.
yeah, we exp. lit in court, Julian….the opp is trying to use the state v Fed argument. SAM, Healthy MI, the mental health and rehab mafia, police, prosecutors, and family values conservative dinosaurs all are coming for us probably…my fear is that voters here will fall brainwashed to fears regarding change….MI may prove THE STATE that might force national action. My fear is that MI may fall like OH did….voters may have become TOO stagnant out here, econ. is terrible. Medical is being held up and shut down, too. Article in Detroit News. One commenter said it pretty plainly: Repubs don’t like it, whining, do NOTHING, and will CONTINUE to do NOTHING when this passes, (staying on the positive). Obstructionists, imo, the real ones. These dinosaurs STINK of status quo out. Small town, older voters will probably vote no as well. And Kevin Sabet is going to POUND us…forget his past attacks…. he is going to be all over us, he loses MI he can pack it up and go home, though he should as it is already. MI GOP is a huge and irritating problem, Bohemith….sp?… have to run, but I will have more to say…..:)
*stink of status quo out here.
As a Michigan Medical Marijuana Patient, it’s about time Michigan…