Voters will decide whether to approve recreational marijuana for adult use in Michigan. A “yes” vote on Prop 1 would legalize adult cannabis use, while a “no” vote would continue to only allow access in Michigan for medical marijuana.

Marijuana is one of three proposals on the ballot this year. (The others involve redistricting (Prop 2), and voting rights (Prop 3)

If the vote for legalization were today, polls suggest Michigan would give Cannabis the yes vote. The group leading the charge is The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol . 

Organized by the D.C. nonprofit The Marijuana Policy Project, the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol is comprised of a variety of advocate groups and stakeholders. The Marijuana Policy Project works to change state-level marijuana laws and increase public support for “non-punitive, non-coercive marijuana policies.” Among the Coalition members are the Marijuana Policy Project, MI Legalize, Michigan NORML, the ACLU of Michigan and the Drug Policy Alliance.

Founded in 1995, The Marijuana Policy Project, (MPP), a D.C.-based nonprofit, worked with the Michigan group MI Legalize to organize the stakeholders that now make up the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol (CRMLA). In addition to MPP and MI Legalize, members include the ACLU of Michigan, MI Legalize, Michigan NORML, and the Drug Policy Alliance.

Billionaire Peter Lewis of Ohio, head of Progressive Insurance, was a major donor until his death at age 80 in 2013. It is reported that his family continues to donate to MPP, as well as New Approach PAC, another CRMLA donor.

DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR GRETCHEN WHITMER’S TAKE: “Michigan has a chance to get marijuana legalization right. I will be a yes vote on legalizing recreational marijuana when it appears on the ballot this November. As governor, I’m going to make sure we regulate marijuana so it doesn’t get into the hands of our kids and tax it so the money goes to fixing our roads and our broken education system,” Whitmer said to Bridge Magazine via email.

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR BILL SCHUETTE’S TAKE: Schuette said to Bridge Magazine in an interview, “I believe in democracy and so if the citizens of Michigan pass it I will implement it fully, completely,  according to the statute and and make it work if it’s passed… From my perspective, we don’t need to put more drugs in the hands of children…so I’m voting no on that.”

BENEFITS OF PROP 1:

• Increased tax revenue: Legalization would create a new revenue stream for schools, transportation, and local governments. States such as Washington and Colorado have harvested millions of dollars in additional taxes. Experts estimate Michigan could make 100 million to 200 million dollars a year from marijuana taxation.
• Falling arrest rates: States with recreational cannabis have seen arrest rates fall for marijuana-related offenses, keeping people out of the penal system and in the workforce. (It is worth noting that, while arrest rates fall overall, racial disparities in arrest rates do not vanish, with minorities continuing to be arrested at higher rates than whites.)
• New jobs and businesses: A new industry expands the private sector, opening the door to more businesses and jobs.
• Health benefits: Research indicates there could be some positive impacts, such as alleviating pain, nausea, seizures, and potentially helping users fight insomnia.

CONCERNS:

• Health risks: Despite marijuana’s medicinal uses, it can be injurious to users’ health. Those prone to mental illness and adolescents whose brains are still developing seem to run the highest risk of ill effects, and “substantial” use can harm anybody’s lungs.
• Public safety: There are concerns about road and worker safety. There is no test to assess whether or not a person is currently under the influence of marijuana, making it difficult to police the roads for drivers under the influence or identify impaired workers on the job. At the moment, research is muddled as to whether there is any effect at all on transit safety, positive or negative.
• Hiring difficulties: Michigan employers are worried about finding workers that can pass a drug test. There are already areas of the state struggling with this issue, and some companies fear that easy access to weed will only exacerbate the problem.