Voters in Michigan have opted to make their state the next to legalize marijuana.

A ballot measure to replace cannabis prohibition with a legal and regulated system of cultivation and sales was approved by a margin of 56 percent to 44 percent.

“The Proposal 1 campaign boiled down into one of fact versus fear,” Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Spokesperson Josh Hovey said in a press release. “The data from the nine other states to have legalized marijuana made clear that regulation and taxation are a better solution. Legalization of marijuana will end the unnecessary waste of law enforcement resources used to enforce the failed policy of prohibition while generating hundreds of millions of dollars each year for Michigan’s most important needs.”

The measure will allow adults over 21 to possess, grow and use small amounts of marijuana legally. Those provisions are set to take effect within 10 days of the vote being certified, which should be soon, meaning that cannabis is expected to become legal in the state this month.

Portions of the new law allowing for licensed businesses to grow, process and sell cannabis to consumers will come online over the next year.

"The victory in Michigan highlights just how widespread support is for marijuana policy reform, Steve Hawkins, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, said. "This issue does not only enjoy strong support on the coasts, but also in the Midwest and all throughout the country. Marijuana has now been legalized for adult use in one out of every five states and medical use in three out of every five, so it is safe to say federal law is in need of an update."

Meanwhile, voters in several other states are also considering marijuana ballot measures on Tuesday.

Under Michigan's new legalization law adults will be able to grow up to 12 total marijuana plants at home, possess 2.5 ounces in public and store 10 ounces in their residence—in addition to what they grow legally.

The measure directs state regulators will issue business licenses for cultivators, processors, testing labs, secure transporters, retail outlets and cannabis microbusinesses.

Cities and towns will be able to regulate or ban commercial marijuana activity.

Retail sales will be subject to a 10 percent excise tax in addition to the state’s regular six percent sales tax. Revenues will cover the cost of regulation, with the remainder earmarked to fund schools, roads, local governments and FDA-approved research on the medical benefits of cannabis for military veterans struggling with PTSD and other conditions.

“Voters in Michigan sent a resounding rebuke to their state’s failed policy of prohibition and elected to follow a new, more sensible path of regulation and legalization," NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri said. "Instead of arresting thousands of citizens a year for possession of a plant, Michigan will now be able to prioritize law enforcement resources towards combating violent crime, honor personal freedom and civil liberties, end the racist application of weaponizing prohibition laws against communities of color and collect tax revenue that was previously going to black market elements and put it towards important social programs such as education and infrastructure development.”

A Gallup poll released last month found that 66 percent of Americans support legalizing marijuana, the highest level ever in the firm's nearly 50 years of surveys on the topic.</s>Michigan voters legalize recreational marijuana use, becoming the first in the Midwest to do so

DETROIT (AP) — Michigan voters legalize recreational marijuana use, becoming the first in the Midwest to do so.</s>DETROIT (AP) — Michigan voters legalize recreational marijuana use, becoming the first in the Midwest to do so.</s>DETROIT (AP) — Michigan voters on Tuesday made their state the first in the Midwest to legalize recreational marijuana, passing a ballot measure that will allow people 21 or older to buy and use the drug and putting conservative neighboring states on notice.

Three other states had marijuana-related measures on their ballots. North Dakota voters decided recreational pot wasn’t for them , while voters in Missouri passed one of three unrelated measures to legalize medical marijuana.

Utah voters also were considering whether to allow medical marijuana and to join the 31 other states that have already done so.

Including Michigan, 10 states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuana.

And Canada recently did so. But the passage in Michigan gives it a foothold in Middle America and could cause tension with neighboring Indiana and Ohio, which overwhelmingly rejected a 2015 legalization measure.

“Troopers that work along the state line are very cognizant of what’s going on up north,” said Indiana State Police Sgt. Ron Galaviz, a spokesman for the agency’s Fort Wayne Post, which stretches north to the Michigan line.

He said if the referendum passed, “we know some of our citizens are going to go over to Michigan to partake.” And those who return either under the influence or in possession of pot may learn the hard way that it remains illegal in Indiana.

“We’ll enforce our laws as written,” added Galaviz, a Michigan native. “If you’re traveling to or through our state, we really don’t want you bringing it down here.”

Kristin Schrader, 51, a Democrat from Superior Township in Washtenaw County, said she voted to legalize marijuana because she doesn’t want people leaving Michigan to get it.

“I’ve got no attachment to marijuana myself, but I don’t care to stand in the way of the train while it’s coming down the tracks. I don’t want people to go to other states to get it and spend their money somewhere else. If there’s going to be an economic benefit to legalize marijuana, I want it to be in Michigan.”

The Michigan law will take effect in about a month, as the election first has to be certified by the Board of State Canvassers. Ten days after that certification, people age 21 or older will be allowed to have, use and grow the drug, but the process of establishing regulations for its retail sale could take about two years.

The measure, which was endorsed by a national organization of black-owned businesses and a group of retired Michigan law enforcement officers, will create a state licensing system for marijuana businesses and allow cities and townships to restrict them.

Supporters say it will raise roughly $130 million in additional tax revenue each year that will go toward road repairs, schools and local governments. They also say it will allow for greater regulation of pot usage and for the police to focus on more pressing problems.

Opponents, including many law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, chambers of commerce and religious groups, said legalizing marijuana would lead to increased use by children, drug abuse and car crashes. They also said Michigan’s proposal would be too permissive by allowing people to have up to 2.5 ounces (71 grams) of the drug on them and up to 10 ounces (284 grams) at home.

Unlike Michigan’s measure, North Dakota’s rejected measure didn’t receive any significant funding from outside groups. It came as the state was still setting up its medical marijuana system, which voters approved by a wide margin two years ago.

In Missouri, voters passed one of three unrelated medical marijuana measures that made it onto the ballot. The constitutional amendment will allow patients with cancer, HIV, epilepsy and other conditions access to the drug.

Voters in Utah also were considering whether to legalize medical marijuana. The Mormon church, which carries outsized influence in the conservative state, had opposed the proposal but recently joined lawmakers and advocates to back a deal that would legalize it in the conservative state.

Utah’s governor said he would call lawmakers into a special session after the midterm election to pass the deal into law, even if Tuesday’s initiative failed.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>MANISTEE COUNTY — Michigan voters made their state the first in the Midwest to legalize recreational marijuana, passing Proposal 1 with a 56-44 percent margin.

The ballot measure approved in Tuesday’s election allows people 21 or older to buy, grow and use marijuana, however voters should expect a wait before the law is in effect, and marijuana is readily available.

In Manistee County, 5,938 votes approved the measure, and 5,756 votes were cast to deny it.

Ten days after election results are certified, in about a month’s time, the Michigan law will likely take effect. The election first has to be certified by the Board of State Canvassers.

Marijuana will not be commercially available for sale in what could be at least two years from now. Officials say the state must place regulations and issue licenses for recreational sales.

Law enforcement also has a long road ahead, Manistee County sheriff John O’Hagan said police agencies will have to consider training options, and how to monitor its use on the roads.

“We are going to focus first on the training and experience that we currently have in the short term,” he said. “Any additional training we can offer law enforcement officers will be beneficial to any investigation by keeping the officer’s skills on the sharp side.”

As the law soon takes effect, there are a few details Michigan residents should know before lighting up or growing marijuana.

How much marijuana is OK?

With Proposal 1, Michigan law will allow people 21 and older to possess up to 2.5 ounces (71 grams) of marijuana on them, and up to 10 ounces (284 grams) at home. However, amounts over 2.5 ounces need to be secured in locked containers.

Residents are able to grow, but not sell, up to 12 plants in their home for personal use. Although, those who have a license will be able to grow more.

Types of licences include: Marijuana retailer; marijuana safety compliance facility; marijuana secure transporter; marijuana processor; marijuana microbusiness; Class A marijuana grower authorizing cultivation of not more than 100 marijuana plants; Class B marijuana grower authorizing cultivation of not more than 500 marijuana plants; and Class C marijuana grower authorizing cultivation of not more than 2,000 marijuana plants.

Marijuana could also be gifted to someone else who is of age, but not sold without a license.

What is still illegal

While the measure changes several current violations from crimes to civil infractions, there are still a few details the public should know.

Not only will it be illegal for anyone under 21 to purchase or use marijuana, it also will remain illegal to use marijuana in public. Police will be able to arrest people they suspect are driving under the influence of marijuana, or if the individual is using marijuana in public.

Marijuana is prohibited from use on K-12 school grounds, landlords are still able to prohibit smoking and growing plants on their properties, and employers could also maintain a zero tolerance policy for marijuana use.

Under the new law, marijuana plants cannot be visible from a public place, so do not expect to be able to plant it in a garden around the house.

People will be able to purchase marijuana or edibles from state licensed businesses. However, a city would be able to decide if they want to allow them in their municipality. Marijuana will be taxed at 10 percent — plus the existing 6 percent sales tax — put toward implementation costs, clinical trials, schools, roads, and municipalities where marijuana businesses are located.

Although the state has a head start on the rules, as infrastructure is in place regulating the medical marijuana industry, it could still possibly be a few years until marijuana is for sale.

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs will work on developing rules and regulations to govern the recreational marijuana industry. Those already with medical marijuana licenses are able to get recreational licenses right away, when it becomes fully legal.

Training measures for officers are already in the works, O’Hagan said Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement Training (ARIDE) is the first step.

“This provides officers with general knowledge in relation to drug impairment; training them in observation, identifying and articulating the signs of impairment for both alcohol and drugs,” he said.

However, issues still loom with roadside testing of THC levels, while marijuana-impaired driving is not legal and a threshold has not yet been established, as it has been for alcohol with blood-alcohol concentration level regulations.

“The biggest challenge is we don’t have a roadside test at our disposal at this time to determine the amount of drugs within the system,” said O’Hagan. “With marijuana and THC levels, there is no way we can determine how much THC is in their system. Are they beyond impaired? Will one or two joints/marijuana cigarettes or vapors produce impairment?

“That all depends on the THC level and the person, because everyone will be different. There is no ‘threshold’ as with alcohol.”

Police might also expend more time and resources to determine whether a driver is under the influence of marijuana, O’Hagan said.

“Officers will, on occasion, be spending more time on the road with subjects suspected to be under the influence,” he said. “Not everyone we encounter who has smoked marijuana prior to be driving will be considered ‘intoxicated’; however, extra time will be spent by the officer in determining that level of intoxication.”

Despite this, O’Hagan said officers are bracing for the change, until a solution is met.

“This won’t always be easy, which makes this so difficult,” said O’Hagan. “My biggest fear is on the roadways… We certainly don’t want to send someone down the road who was intoxicated or under the influence of a drug.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>Adult recreational users of weed will be able to use it legally in another state.

Michigan voters made their state the first in the Midwest to legalize recreational marijuana by passing a ballot measure that will allow people 21 or older to buy and use the drug.

According to preliminary results, more than 54% of voters in Michigan said yes to the initiative that imposes a 10-ounce limit for Michigan residents, creates a state licensing system, will allow for retail sales subject to a 10% tax and changes several current weed-related violations to civil infractions.

A similar measure was defeated in North Dakota, meaning there are now 10 states that allow recreational use of pot — Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Washington — plus the District of Columbia.</s>Michigan voters on Tuesday made their state the first in the Midwest to legalize recreational marijuana, passing a ballot measure that will allow people 21 or older to buy and use the drug and putting conservative neighbouring states on notice.

Three other states had marijuana-related measures on their ballots. North Dakota voters decided recreational pot wasn't for them, while voters in Missouri passed one of three unrelated measures to legalize medical marijuana. Utah voters also were considering whether to allow medical marijuana and to join the 31 other states that have already done so.

Including Michigan, 10 states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuana. And Canada recently did so. But the passage in Michigan gives it a foothold in Middle America and could cause tension with neighbouring Indiana and Ohio, which overwhelmingly rejected a 2015 legalization measure.

"Troopers that work along the state line are very cognizant of what's going on up north," said Indiana State Police Sgt. Ron Galaviz, a spokesman for the agency's Fort Wayne Post, which stretches north to the Michigan line.

He said if the referendum passed, "we know some of our citizens are going to go over to Michigan to partake." And those who return either under the influence or in possession of pot may learn the hard way that it remains illegal in Indiana.

"We'll enforce our laws as written," added Galaviz, a Michigan native. "If you're traveling to or through our state, we really don't want you bringing it down here."

Kristin Schrader, 51, a Democrat from Superior Township in Washtenaw County, said she voted to legalize marijuana because she doesn't want people leaving Michigan to get it.

"I've got no attachment to marijuana myself, but I don't care to stand in the way of the train while it's coming down the tracks. I don't want people to go to other states to get it and spend their money somewhere else. If there's going to be an economic benefit to legalize marijuana, I want it to be in Michigan."

The Michigan law will take effect in about a month, as the election first has to be certified by the Board of State Canvassers. Ten days after that certification, people age 21 or older will be allowed to have, use and grow the drug, but the process of establishing regulations for its retail sale could take about two years.

The measure, which was endorsed by a national organization of black-owned businesses and a group of retired Michigan law enforcement officers, will create a state licensing system for marijuana businesses and allow cities and townships to restrict them.

Supporters say it will raise roughly $130 million in additional tax revenue each year that will go toward road repairs, schools and local governments. They also say it will allow for greater regulation of pot usage and for the police to focus on more pressing problems.

Opponents, including many law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, chambers of commerce and religious groups, said legalizing marijuana would lead to increased use by children, drug abuse and car crashes.

They also said Michigan's proposal would be too permissive by allowing people to have up to 2.5 ounces (71 grams) of the drug on them and up to 10 ounces (284 grams) at home.</s>Voters in the Great Lakes State decided Tuesday to make Michigan Great Lakes Baked.

Proposal 1, which would legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older in the state, was headed for victory at the time of publication early Wednesday: 57 percent of votes were in favor of the ballot question and 43 percent were against it with 64 percent of precincts reporting.

Michigan’s transition to a recreational marijuana market comes in a midterm election that has a tangible effect on the rapidly emerging business of legal cannabis.

North Dakota’s Measure 3, which would have legalized recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older and created an automatic expungement process for past marijuana convictions, was roundly defeated.

The ballot question was rejected by voters, with 59.4 percent against, 40.6 percent in favor and 94 percent of precincts reporting, according to The New York Times.

In Utah, Proposition 2 to legalize medical marijuana was ahead at the time of publication, at 54 percent “yes” to 46 percent “no” and 62 percent of precincts reporting.

Missouri voters approved Amendment 2 — one of three medical marijuana proposals on the ballot Tuesday — which legalizes medical marijuana and taxes it at a 4-percent rate. The revenue will be dedicated to veterans’ health care.

The amendment passed with 65.3 percent of the vote and 95 percent of precincts reporting, according to The New York Times.

“Voters in Michigan sent a resounding rebuke to their state’s failed policy of prohibition and elected to follow a new, more sensible path of regulation and legalization,” Erik Altieri, the executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said in a late Tuesday statement.

At a forum on Proposal 1 last month in Detroit, former White House drug policy advisor Kevin Sabet said Michigan’s recreational marijuana law is wide-open.

"It's about money and profits for a small amount of people," Sabet said.

With ballot proposals in four states that held the potential for the creation of new legal cannabis markets of varying degrees, marijuana stocks rallied during Tuesday's trading session:
• Canopy Growth Corp (NYSE: CGC) was up 5.95 percent at $42.59 at the close.
• Cronos Group Inc (NASDAQ: CRON) was 9.7 percent higher at $9.05.

Michigan voters previously OK’ed the legalization of medical marijuana via a 2008 ballot initiative, and the state has the second-largest medical patient base in the country, according to the Marijuana Business Daily factbook.

Proposal 1, the “Michigan Marijuana Legalization Initiative,” allows adults over 21 to possess, consume and grow cannabis. In Michigan, ballot initiatives take effect 10 days after election results are certified.

The initiative allows residents to grow up to 12 plants for personal use and possess up to 10 ounces at home, with amounts over 2.5 ounces stored in a locked container. The proposal taxes recreational cannabis at a 10-percent rate and creates a statewide regulatory system that allows communities to ban or restrict marijuana businesses.

Michigan’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs must begin accepting applications for marijuana retail stores within a year of Proposal 1’s effective date.

Benzinga, which recently brought 600 investors to Toronto for the first-ever Cannabis Capital Conference, is hosting the Michigan Cannabis Business Roundtable at its Detroit headquarters Friday, Nov. 9.

Click here for more information and tickets to the first event focused on the cannabis space after Tuesday’s affirmative vote.

Pot Stocks, ETFs, Top News And Data From The Cannabis Industry This Week

2 Stocks That Could Benefit From Marijuana Legalization In Michigan</s>Marijuana advocates scored a number of substantial ballot victories in the middle of the country on Election Day, chief among them the legalization of recreational marijuana in Michigan, which becomes the 10th state in the nation to approve recreational use of the drug.

“Michigan will be the first state in the Midwest to end marijuana prohibition and replace it with a system in which marijuana is regulated for adult use,” Marijuana Policy Project deputy director Matthew Schweich, who directed the legalization campaign, said in a statement. “Adults will no longer be punished for consuming a substance less harmful than alcohol, and rather than having to resort to the illegal market, they will be able to access it safely and legally from licensed businesses.”

The results in Michigan follow the opening of recreational marijuana markets in Canada and the repeal of marijuana prohibition in Mexico. With the addition of Michigan, nearly 80 million Americans — 25 percent of the total U.S. population — live in a state or jurisdiction that has legalized recreational marijuana. The most recent polling by Gallup shows that two-thirds of American adults support legalization of the drug.

In deep-red North Dakota, on the other hand, voters overwhelmingly rejected an unusual bill that would have legalized marijuana without setting any possession limits or regulatory structure. The outcome in North Dakota underscores Republican skepticism of legalization — in the Gallup survey just 53 percent of Republicans nationwide said they supported marijuana legalization, compared to 71 percent of independent voters and 75 percent of Democrats.

“Tonight, parents can sleep easy knowing their children won’t wake up to more marijuana use in their schools,” said Luke Niforatos, senior policy adviser to Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a group that opposes legalization. “The sensible, wonderful people of North Dakota have rejected marijuana commercialization in their state.”

Elsewhere on the ballot tonight, voters in Missouri approved one out of three medical marijuana measures up for consideration, avoiding a potentially messy fight over which measure would go into law if more than one passed. Missouri’s Amendment 2 allows doctors to recommend marijuana for a number of medical conditions. Patients would be able to obtain the drug either through a dispensary or by growing it at home.

As of this writing, a medical marijuana measure in Utah is leading 53-47 with 76 percent of precincts reporting. That comes after supporters and opponents of the bill struck a deal with Utah’s governor to call a special section of the legislature to write a compromise bill regardless of whether the measure passed. Supporters of the bill agreed to the compromise because lawmakers in Utah are able to overturn ballot propositions with a simple majority vote.</s>Leading marijuana stocks surged in midday trading Wednesday after Michigan became the 10th state in the U.S. to legalize pot for recreational purposes.

Michigan’s Proposal 1, which passed with 56 percent of the vote, allows adults aged 21 or older to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana on their person or as much as 10 ounces in their homes. State residents can also grow up to 12 marijuana plants without a license, or buy pot legally from licensed businesses.

Shares of leading pot manufacturers Aurora Cannabis and Tilray each rose on the news. Canopy Growth shares rose by nearly 4 percent in early trading before turning negative.

Michigan will impose a 10 percent tax on marijuana-related transactions in addition to a 6 percent sales tax. Marijuana likely won’t be commercially available until early 2020, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Michigan was one of several states to vote on marijuana-related measures on Election Day. Voters in North Dakota rejected a proposal that would have fully legalized marijuana and erased prior convictions for pot-related crimes that would have been legal under the proposed law’s terms.

Utah and Missouri approved the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Marijuana is legal for recreational purposes in 10 states, as well as Washington, D.C. Pot is still banned at the federal level.
Voters in Michigan legalize recreational marijuana.