Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act

The Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act, also known as Proposal 1, was an initiative that appeared on the November 2018 ballot to legalize cannabis in the U.S. state of Michigan. The initiative allows adults 21 and older to possess up to 2.5 ounces (71 g) of cannabis and to grow up to 12 plants at home.[2] The initiative was approved with 56% of the vote.[1]

Proposal 1
Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act
Results
Response
 Votes %
Yes 2,356,422 55.89%
No 1,859,675 44.11%
Valid votes 4,216,097 100.00%
Invalid or blank votes 0 0.00%
Total votes 4,216,097 100.00%
Source: MLive[1]

History

In November 2017, supporters submitted 365,000 signatures to get legal recreational cannabis on the 2018 ballot.[3][4] The state certified the initiative on April 26.[5]

The Detroit Free Press reported that state Republicans planned to amend and attempt to pass the initiative in the state legislature. The amendment would involve an income tax cut offset by cannabis tax revenue, and regulation by the appointed board in charge of medical cannabis, not by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). If passed by the legislature, it would not appear on the general ballot.[6]

By June 5, the deadline for an "adopt-and-amend" act to go through the legislature expired, and the un-amended initiative would appear on ballots in November.[7]

Bill contents

The Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act, also sometimes referred to as the “RMLA”, would legalize the possession of marijuana for those 21 years and older. The Act also contains a number of provisions that would change the state's marijuana and hemp laws, including:

  • The Act would eliminate the penalties for anyone who possesses, uses, purchases, transports, or processes 2.5 ounces or less of marijuana, or up to 15 grams of marijuana concentrate.
  • The Act further expands this limit to possession of no more than 10 ounces of marijuana within a residence.
  • The Act allows a Michigan resident to cultivate up to 12 plants in their personal residence.
  • The Act allows municipalities the option to completely prohibit or limit the number of marijuana establishments within its boundaries.
  • The Act creates an additional commercial marijuana license category called a “microbusiness”, which allows an individual to grow up to 150 plants and sell direct to the consumer.
  • The Act gives LARA the authority to approve or disapprove licenses, as opposed to the medical facility law, which gives that power to a politically appointed licensing board.
  • The Act imposes a 10% excise tax on the sale of recreational marijuana.

Support

The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol is the main supporter of the initiative.[3]

Opposition

In February 2018, it was reported that Smart Approaches to Marijuana was funding opposition to the initiative,[8] as they had in other states including California. Two other local groups, Healthy and Productive Michigan and the Committee to Keep Pot Out of Neighborhoods and Schools, were formed in 2017 to oppose the initiative.[9]

Public opinion
Public opinion on the legalization of recreational marijuana in Michigan
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin of
error		 % support % opposition % Undecided/Don't Know
EPIC-MRA[10] September 21–25, 2018 600 AV ± 4.0% 56% 41% 3%
EPIC-MRA[11] February 24 – 27, 2018 600 AV ± 4.0% 61% 35% 4%
Glengariff Group/Detroit News/WDIV[12] January 16–19, 2018 600 LV ± 4.0% 57% 37% 6%
Marketing Resource Group[13] May 8–11, 2017 600 LV ± 4.0% 58% 36% 6%
EPIC-MRA[14] January 30 – February 2, 2017 600 LV ± 4.0% 57% 40% 3%

See also

References
  1. Mack, Julie. "See how your county voted on legal weed, plus Proposals 2 and 3". mlive.com. Advance Local Media LLC. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  2. Eggert, David (November 21, 2017), "Michigan vote on legalizing marijuana is likely in 2018", Grand Rapids Business Journal, Associated Press
  3. Gray, Kathleen (November 29, 2017), "Group ready to fight plan for legalized pot in Michigan", Detroit Free Press
  4. Adlin, Ben (November 17, 2017), "Michigan Legalization Measure Poised to Qualify for 2018 Ballot", Leafly
  5. Violet Ikonomova (April 26, 2018), "It's official: Pot legalization will be on the Michigan ballot this November", Detroit Metro Times
  6. JUNFU HAN (May 4, 2018), "GOP lawmakers contemplate tying marijuana legalization to income tax cut", The Detroit Free Press
  7. Jonathan Oosting and Beth LeBlanc (June 5, 2018), "Pot legalization proposal heading to Michigan ballot", The Detroit NewsCS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  8. Oosting, Jonathan (February 10, 2018), "Michigan pot legalization push faces new opposition", The Detroit News
  9. Ikonomova, Violet (January 24, 2018), "The man campaigning to derail marijuana legalization in Michigan makes his case", Metro Times, Detroit
  10. Poll: Voters support legal marijuana, redistricting measures, Grand Rapids, Michigan: WOOD-TV, September 28, 2018
  11. EPIC-MRA
  12. Glengariff Group/Detroit News/WDIV
  13. Marketing Resource Group, May 2017
  14. EPIC-MRA
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