Poll: Michigan Will Likely Approve Recreational Marijuana

MICHIGAN — Michigan is poised to approve recreational marijuana on the November ballot, according to a new poll commissioned by local media outlets. Michigan voters will decide whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use and use the taxes from sales to fund things like road initiatives and education funding.

By a margin of 56.2 percent-38.0 percent, Michigan voters support legalizing recreational marijuana, the WDIV and Detroit News poll found. Only 5.8 percent of voters remain undecided. These numbers have remained consistent for the past two years, their reports said.

Only voters over the age of 65 are sharply opposed to the marijuana proposal.

The same poll found that Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer has a strong lead over Republican candidate Bill Schuette.

Here’s a look at what the proposal would do if approved:

• Legalize the possession and sale of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal, recreational use for people over the age of 21. But an individual could keep up to 10 ounces of marijuana at home
• Tax marijuana sales with a 10 percent excise tax at the retail level as well as the state's 6 percent sales tax
• Split those revenues, with 35 percent going to K-12 education, 35 percent to roads, 15 percent to the communities that allow marijuana businesses in their communities and 15 percent to counties where marijuana business are located
• Allow communities to decide whether they’ll allow marijuana businesses in their towns
• Require testing and safe transportation of marijuana in the state.
• Allow for three categories of marijuana grow operations: up to 500 plants, up to 1,000 plants or up to 2,000 plants.
• Have the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs set the rules surrounding recreational use of marijuana and take the lead in handing out licenses. Under the current medical marijuana law, a five-member board appointed by the governor, Senate majority leader and speaker of the House award licenses to medical marijuana businesses.

There will be some caveats to the ballot proposal, including that marijuana enthusiasts will have to be at least 21 years of age to smoke, eat or apply cannabis-infused products.

Election Day 2018 is on Nov. 6.

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