A New Petition To Legalize Weed In Michigan Was Just Approved

The Michigan Board of State Canvassers just approved a new petition to legalize weed in Michigan. The approval means that the petition can now begin collecting signatures. Since the petition is part of a proposal to make an amendment to Michigan’s constitution, it needs to get more than 315,000 signatures.

A New Petition To Legalize Weed in Michigan

A petition for the Abrogate Prohibition Michigan Amendment was just given approval by the Michigan Board of State Canvassers. The amendment being proposed is trying to make some radical changes to the state’s constitution.

Broadly speaking, the proposal calls for an end to all laws that prohibit or regulate the use of cannabis in Michigan. Simply put, it would make all forms of weed legal. The change would apply to both medical and recreational use.

On top of that, the amendment would make it so that the state could not tax weed. Similarly, the amendment would keep the state from imposing any other fines or penalties for possessing and using weed.

It’s becoming more and more common for states to move toward legalization. For example, in the 2016 elections, California, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Maine all voted to legalize recreational weed.

Similarly, Florida, Arkansas, Montana, and North Dakota all approved new medical marijuana laws.

And even in Michigan, there have been steps toward creating more lax cannabis laws. For example, a ballot initiative was recently introduced that would allow people in Michigan to carry up to 2.5 ounces of weed. That would be the highest legal limit in the U.S.

A petition in favor of the initiative has already gathered more than 100,000 signatures. It needs to get at least 252,523 signatures to make it onto the ballot this November.

Final Hit: A New Petition To Legalize Weed In Michigan Was Just Approved

But this newer petition takes what appears to be a more radical approach to legalization. Most immediately, the Abrogate Prohibition Michigan Amendment wants to keep the state from regulating or taxing weed. On top of that, the amendment would also go into effect retroactively.

At this point, it’s still a bit unclear what exactly that would mean. “I don’t understand what they’re trying to do,” Board of State Canvassers member Colleen Pero told local sources. “I don’t see how something can be retroactive of this magnitude.”

So far, the new proposal seems to be moving forward. After receiving a unanimous 4-0 vote from the Board of State Canvassers, it can now move into public circulation. Because it’s calling for an amendment to the Michigan state constitution, it needs even more signatures than a regular petition would.

This one needs to collect at least 315,654 signatures before it can move on to the next step. One way or another, this petition along with the earlier petition could signal a strong move toward legalization in Michigan.