Will Michigan legalize pot in November?
Voters in Michigan will head to the polls in November to cast their vote on legalizing recreational marijuana. If the measure is approved, Michigan will become the 10th state to legalize the use of recreational marijuana for adult use.
On July 1st, Vermont became the first state to legalize marijuana through its state legislature. A similar approach to legalize cannabis through the legislature was taken in Michigan in 2016, but it ultimately failed even though proponents of the measure had met the number of signatures required to put the issue on the ballot.
"The legislature could have acted to pass it immediately before it went on the ballot, but they just couldn't get the support for it," Kathy Gray, a political reporter for the Detroit Free Press, told CBS News. "We've got a Republican-controlled legislature and a Republican governor, and they just couldn't get the votes to pass it before it got to the ballot.
Gray also said that the issue had the potential to increase turnout at the polls, but warned that opponents of the measure would not hesitate to take steps to prevent the measure from succeeding.
"I think that there will be a well-funded opposition campaign before we get into November," said Gray.