Bill to Legalize Marijuana in Michigan to Hit the State Legislature

In spite of a few marijuana advocacy groups attempting to legalize the leaf in 2016 through ballot initiatives, one Michigan lawmaker is attempting to get this done through the state legislature.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Representative Jeff Irwin is working on a proposal that would end prohibitionary times across the state by making it legal for adults 21 and over to purchase weed the same as many residents do beer.

According to a report in The Weed Blog, Representative Irwin is now searching for cosponsors to help support the bill. The Marijuana Policy Project, a national pot advocacy group, has set up a form of action on their website to allow citizens to petition their local representatives to for support. You can send the following form letter to yours by clicking here.

Rep. Jeff Irwin will soon introduce a bill that would tax and regulate marijuana sales to adults aged 21 and older. You and your colleagues will have an historic opportunity to end the failed prohibition of marijuana in Michigan and replace it with a sensible system of regulation. This better approach will free up valuable law enforcement resources that can be focused on serious crime.

As your constituent, I ask that you please add your name to this historic bill as a co-sponsor. A majority of Michiganders support legalization and I hope you do too.

Prohibition is a destructive and costly failure. The current unregulated marijuana market simply rewards criminals. If we can tax and regulate a much more harmful substance like alcohol, we can do the same with marijuana. Unlike drug dealers, regulated marijuana retailers do not deal in hard drugs like cocaine or heroin. They also check IDs, pay taxes, and are monitored by state agencies. In 10 years, I believe we will look back and agree that regulation is simply common sense.

Not only has prohibition failed, it has also been unequally enforced. Despite similar use rates, blacks in Michigan are 3.3 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than are whites, according to a 2013 report by the ACLU.

It’s time for a better approach. I hope you will support Rep. Irwin’s legalization bill.

If you support the legalization if marijuana in Michigan, let your local representative know that you would appreciate their help in getting this measure passed.