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)
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.
Michigan Marijuana Legalization Commercial…feat Steve Miller
The Coalition To Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Michigan released a commercial for Marijuana legalization featuring retired Michigan State Trooper Ted Nelson and Komorn Law staff member Steve Miller.
Komorn Law has represented numerous clients through the legal chaos of starting up a business in the Michigan Medical Marihuana Industry as well as consulting and legal representation for Medical Maruhuana Patients and Caregivers.
If you or someone you know has been arrested as a result of Medical Marijuana, DUI, Drugs, Forfeiture, Criminal Enterprise or any other criminal charges please contact our office and ensure you’re defended by an experienced lawyer.
Attorney Michael Komorn is recognized as an expert on the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act. He is the President of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association (MMMA), a nonprofit patient advocacy group which advocates for the rights of medical marijuana patients and their caregivers.
Contact us for a free no-obligation case evaluation 800-656-3557.
This page is for informational purposes only. Laws, regulations and the world change routinely, therefore we insist you consult an attorney for the most current legal information.
In the middle of a debate on the legalization of marijuana, the opponents to legalization made the claim, without any details or statistics, that legalizing marijuana would cause auto insurance to rise. This is another bogus claim, in a long line of bogus claims, used to continue prohibition of a plant.
In the long line of false claims made by prohibitionists, the theories seem to be getting weaker and weaker as time goes by. Looking back through the claims made over the last 100 years, it is foolish to continue believing these, or anything else the prohibitionists throw at us.
Marijuana causing Mexicans go “loco” and murder everyone like they were assassins. Based upon a fictional story in a book published in the early 1900’s.
Jazz musicians seducing white women with marijuana. Seems kind of racist against blacks and Mexicans so far. The war on drugs is also, currently to this day, even in legalized states, used to prosecute and arrest more blacks and latino’s than whites.
Marijuana causing murders and suicides (See Reefer Madness movie)
Marijuana causing brain cell death.
Marijuana causes you to be a lazy no good beatnik and or a motivational syndrome tree-hugging hippie.
Marijuana causing testicular cancer.
Marijuana causing lung cancer.
Marijuana gateway theory to hard drugs like heroin or crack cocaine.
Marijuana causes addiction to marijuana.
Marijuana funds terrorism.
Marijuana causing drop in IQ points.
Legalizing marijuana will not stop the cartels and black markets.
Marijuana causes man-boobs.
Marijuana turns straight people into homosexuals.
Marijuana makes you have lower sperm counts and more trouble conceiving.
Marijuana makes you drop out of school and if you ever smoke marijuana you will never become President of the USA (See Bush, Clinton and Obama.)
Marijuana makes you crazy and prone to psychosis (We circled back to the 1920’s again)
Marijuana gives you a heart attack because it increases your pulse temporarily.
Marijuana suppresses your immune system.
Marijuana causes crime. (Back to Reefer Madness)
Legalized/Medical Marijuana stores cause crime.
Prohibition of marijuana (or Alcohol) works.
Have you been charged with a crime? Remain Silent and Contact Komorn Law Immediately to protect your rights and freedom 800-656-3557.
Car Insurance rates increased in Colorado, where marijuana is legal, although it was due to the incredible population increase and a settling of the market after Colorado repealed no-fault insurance.
Komorn Law has represented numerous clients through the legal chaos of starting up a business in the Michigan Medical Marihuana Industry.
If you or someone you know is facing charges as a result of Medical Marijuana, DUI, Drugs, Forfeiture, Criminal Enterprise, etc. Please contact our office and ensure you’re defended by an experienced lawyer in the evolving laws.
Lead attorney Michael Komorn is recognized as an expert on the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act. He is the President of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association (MMMA), a nonprofit patient advocacy group which advocates for the rights of medical marijuana patients and their caregivers.
Contact us for a free no-obligation case evaluation 800-656-3557.
The debate over legalization of Marijuana on Let it Rip – Fox2 TV Detroit with Retired Police Officer Steve Miller and MI Legalize Board Member Debra Young.
Komorn Law has represented numerous clients through the legal chaos of starting up a business in the Michigan Medical Marihuana Industry.
If you or someone you know is facing charges as a result of Medical Marijuana, DUI, Drugs, Forfeiture, Criminal Enterprise, etc. Please contact our office and ensure you’re defended by an experienced lawyer in the evolving laws.
Lead attorney Michael Komorn is recognized as an expert on the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act. He is the President of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association (MMMA), a nonprofit patient advocacy group which advocates for the rights of medical marijuana patients and their caregivers.
Contact us for a free no-obligation case evaluation 800-656-3557.
Legalized Recreational Marijuana in 9 States and DC – Is Michigan Next?
Michigan
Voters will decide Nov. 6, 2018 whether to legalize recreational marijuana statewide. Here’s a great report from Michael Crowe which was posted on ClickonDetroit.com
Have you been charged with a drug crime or violation of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act? Remain silent and Contact Komorn Law Immediately to protect your rights and freedom 800-656-3557.
The basics
The proposal that will appear on the Nov. 6 ballot is titled Michigan Marijuana Legalization Initiative (MMLI), and it would allow persons 21 years of age or older to possess and use marijuana as long as they’re not in public or driving under the influence. Should MMLI pass, individuals would be allowed to carry up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana on their person and possess up to 10 ounces at home. They would additionally be allowed to grow up to 12 marijuana plants at their residence.
However, municipalities would be able to limit or ban marijuana businesses within their boundaries. MMLI would also impose a retailer-paid excise sales tax of 10% on marijuana sales in addition to the state’s standard sales tax of 6% paid by the consumer.
Taxation
The 10% excise tax rate would essentially make Michigan the state with the lowest overall tax rate on recreational marijuana in the nation. Colorado imposes a 15% excise tax and 15% sales tax on recreational marijuana sales. Oregon has a 17% sales tax with up to 3% in local taxes. Washington maintains a hefty sales tax of 37% on recreational sales. California, Nevada, Alaska, Massachusetts and Maine also have higher overall taxes on the product than Michigan would if voters approve MMLI.
Opponents of the ballot initiative have actually seized upon its relatively low tax as an argument for their side. “Michigan would become the marijuana capital of America if this passes,” said Scott Greenlee, president of anti-legalization group Healthy and Productive Michigan. “The 10 percent tax rate is the lowest of any state that has recreational marijuana, and yet people would be able to have more of it on them and in their homes than anywhere in America.”
Revenue allocation
The idea behind MMLI’s restrained excise tax is to encourage consumers to shop in the legal marketplace rather than the illegal one, while still raising the hundreds of millions of dollars necessary to provide significant funding for the following:
Administrative costs in Michigan’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
$20 million annually (for at least two years or until 2022) to research the use of marijuana in treating U.S. military veterans and preventing veteran suicide
All remaining revenue would be divided as such:
15% to cities in proportion to the number of marijuana retail stores or micro-businesses within the city
15% to counties in proportion to the number of marijuana retail stores or micro-businesses within the county
35% to the school aid fund for K-12 education
35% to the Michigan transportation fund for the repair and maintenance of roads and bridges
Even some proponents of MMLI admit, however, a 10% excise tax won’t be sustainable in the long-run as supply catches up with demand and prices drop. Matthew Abel, a senior partner at Cannabis Counsel (a marijuana law firm in Detroit) and the executive director of the Michigan chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, explained that the state legislature will have to take action in the future if it wants to sustain recreational marijuana revenue.
In Colorado, higher taxes on recreational marijuana enable the first $40 million to go to education and infrastructure projects in the state. Local governments that have approved marijuana businesses also get a share of the revenue, as they would in Michigan. The rest enters a Marijuana Tax Cash Fund that is used for a variety of aims.
Timing and more
Should Michigan voters approve the recreational marijuana ballot initiative on Nov. 6, the state’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs would not begin accepting business applications until December 2019. For 24 months after that, the department can only accept applications from Michigan residents who already have a license to operate a medical marijuana facility.
The slow timeframe bears a resemblance to Colorado’s recreational marijuana rollout. Voters there legalized the substance in 2012, but the first businesses didn’t open until January 2014. Also like Colorado, Michigan’s recreational marijuana proposal does not prohibit employers from drug testing their employees and making disciplinary decisions based on such tests.
A recent poll suggests Michigan’s vote on MMLI is likely to be close, but the broader national trend feels like a tipping point has been reached on marijuana legalization. Thirty states have legalized it in one form or another, recreational use is now legal along the entire West Coast and a number of Democratic senators are gearing up to propose legislation to decriminalize and regulate marijuana at the federal level.
Read more and check for follow up stories here at Click On Detroit
Alaska Medical Marijuana Laws: The possession limits for medical marijuana patients are the same as the limits for adult users.
Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+
Usable Marijuana: up to 1 oz
Plants: up to 6 plants with no more than 3 mature plants
Hash & Concentrates: Possession of hash and concentrates is illegal. Possession of up to 3 g is a misdemeanor, more is a felony.
Have you been charged with a drug crime or violation of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act? Remain Silent and Contact Komorn Law Immediately to protect your rights and freedom 800-656-3557.
2. California
State Marijuana Laws
Ballot Measure: Proposition 64: The Adult Use Marijuana Act — Approved Nov. 9, 2016 by 57% of voters
Effective: Nov. 9, 2016 (revised penalties); Jan. 1, 2018 (retail sales); 2023 (restrictions to be lifted on large-scale corporations)
California Medical Marijuana Laws: Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limits of the recreational law and may possess up to 8 oz usable marijuana, and 6 mature or 12 immature plants.
Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+
Usable Marijuana: up to 1 oz
Plants: up to 6 plants, including the harvest from those 6 plants
Hash & Concentrates: up to 8 g (more than 8 g is a misdemeanor)
3. Colorado
State Marijuana Laws
Ballot Measure: Amendment 64 (55%) — Approved Nov. 6, 2012 by 55% of voters
Colorado Medical Marijuana Laws: Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limits of the recreational law and may possess up to 2 oz usable marijuana, and 6 plants (3 mature and 3 immature).
Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+
Usable Marijuana: up to 1 oz
Plants: up to 6 plants with no more than 3 mature plants
Hash & Concentrates: up to 1 oz
4. Maine
State Marijuana Laws
Ballot Measure: Question 1 — Approved Dec. 17, 2016 (after recount of Nov. 8, 2016 election results was abandoned) by 50.26% of voters
[Editor’s Note: On May 2, 2018, the Maine House (109-39) and Senate (28-6) voted to override Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of LD 1719 (Chapter 409 Public Law) . The Department of Adminstration and Financial Services is required to present regulatory rules for legal sale and production of marijuana to the legislature in January 2019; marijuana retail shops are expected to open no sooner than Spring 2019. The bill lowers the recreational marijuana possession limits from 6 mature plants to 3 mature plants.]
Maine Medical Marijuana Laws: Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limits of the recreational law and may possess up to 2.5 oz marijuana and 6 plants.
Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+
Usable Marijuana: up to 2.5 oz
Plants: up to 3 flowering plants, 12 immature plants, unlimited seedlings, and all marijuana produced from the plants
Hash & Concentrates: up to 5 g
5. Massachusetts
State Marijuana Laws
Ballot Measure: Question 4 — Approved Nov. 8, 2016 by 53.66% of voters
Massachusetts Medical Marijuana Laws: Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limits of the recreational law and may possess up to 10 oz (a 60-day personal supply).
Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+
Usable Marijuana: up to 1 oz
Plants: up to 6 plants; no single residence may exceed 12 plants
Hash & Concentrates: up to 5 g. Possession of hash is illegal though decriminalized for possession of up to 1 oz.
6. Nevada
State Marijuana Laws
Ballot Measure: Question 2 — Approved Nov. 8, 2016 by 54.47% of voters
Nevada Medical Marijuana Laws: Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limits of the adult-use law and may possess up to 2.5 oz of usable marijuana and 12 plants.
Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+
Usable Marijuana: up to 1 oz
Plants: up to 6 plants; no single residence may exceed 12 plants
Oregon Medical Marijuana Laws: Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limits of the adult-use law and may possess up to 24 oz of usable marijuana and 24 plants (6 mature and 18 immature).
Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+
Usable Marijuana: up to 1 oz in public; up to 8 oz homegrown at home
Plants: up to 4 plants per residence
Hash & Concentrates: up to 16 oz solid infused at home; up to 72 oz liquid infused at home; up to 1 oz extract at home
Vermont Medical Marijuana Laws: Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limits of the adult-use law and may possess up to two mature plants, seven immature plants, and 2 oz of usable marijuana.
Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+
Usable Marijuana: up to 1 oz
Plants: up to 6 plants per household (no more than 2 mature), and all marijuana produced from the plants
Washington Medical Marijuana Laws: Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limits of the adult-use law and may possess up to 3 oz usable marijuana; 48 oz of marijuana-infused product in solid form; or 216 oz marijuana-infused liquid; 21 g concentrate; 6 plants for personal use and up to 8 oz from those plants .
Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+
Usable Marijuana: up to 1 oz
Plants: Plants are illegal. Any amount is a felony.
Hash & Concentrates: up to 16 oz marijuana-infused product in solid form; up to 72 oz marijuana-infused product in liquid form; up to 7 g marijuana concentrate
District of Columbia
State Marijuana Laws
Ballot Measure: Initiative 71 — Approved Nov. 4, 2014 by 64.87% of voters
DC Medical Marijuana Laws: Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limits of the recreational law and may possess up to 2 oz dried marijuana
Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+
Usable Marijuana: up to 2 oz
Plants: up to 6 plants per person with no more than 3 mature plants; up to 12 plants (no more than 6 mature) for a single residence with more than one 21+ resident
Hash & Concentrates: Possession of hash and concentrates is illegal and punishable with 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Komorn Law has represented numerous clients through the legal chaos of starting up a business in the Michigan Medical Marihuana Industry.
If you or someone you know is facing charges as a result of Medical Marijuana, DUI, Drugs, Forfeiture, Criminal Enterprise, etc. Please contact our office and ensure you’re defended by an experienced lawyer in the evolving laws.
Lead attorney Michael Komorn is recognized as an expert on the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act. He is the President of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association (MMMA), a nonprofit patient advocacy group which advocates for the rights of medical marijuana patients and their caregivers.
Contact us for a free no-obligation case evaluation 800-656-3557.
