Michigan votes to legalize recreational marijuana News
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Michigan votes to legalize recreational marijuana

Four states—Michigan, Missouri, North Dakota and Utah—voted on marijuana measures Tuesday, with Michigan becoming the tenth state to legalize recreational use of marijuana.

Michigan voters approved Proposal 1, known as the state’s Marijuana Legalization Initiative. Proposal 1 enables the recreational purchase and possession of marijuana for adults over 21 years old. Individual Michigan municipalities can still exercise their right to restrict dispensaries within their borders. Nevertheless, a 10 percent excise tax will be imposed on all recreational marijuana sales. Revenues from these sales will go toward law enforcement, city infrastructure and educational needs.

Missouri followed suit in Michigan’s attempt to tax marijuana sales, but only for medicinal use. Thus, Missouri saw numerous initiatives on the ballot this cycle; two amendments to the state constitution alongside a new proposition. All initiatives sought to legalize marijuana for medical purposes with an added tax for government services.

Amendment 3 offered the highest tax rate at 15 percent, with revenue dedicated to a biomedical facility for research toward cancer and other major diseases. Alternatively, Proposition C suggested a 2 percent tax toward numerous services such as drug treatment, education and law enforcement. Both initiatives failed, and Missouri saw the passage of Amendment 2, which offers a compromise tax of 4 percent, where revenue is to be directed toward veteran health services.

With medical marijuana currently available in North Dakota, the state’s ballots offered to extend the legal possession of marijuana for recreational use. Similar to Michigan’s proposal, North Dakota’s Measure 3 would restrict the age of recreational marijuana use to adults of 21 years of age and older. It also made note to enable an automatic expungement process for convictions regarding marijuana since its legalization. Measure 3 failed with 59.2 percent of residents voting against the initiative.

Also Tuesday Utah became the thirty-first state to legalize medical marijuana with the approval of Proposition 2. Qualifying patients will be required to obtain a medical card for their purchases. Patients are limited to two ounces of unprocessed marijuana or a 10 gram maximum of THC or CBD (active ingredients within marijuana), and are still unable to smoke or vape cannabis.

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