Will Michigan Legalize Marijuana in 2016?

It has been said that 2016 will be the biggest year for marijuana reform the United States has ever experienced. Several states, including Michigan, have put solid initiatives on the table in hopes of establishing a taxed and regulated cannabis industry in a manner similar to Colorado.

But what are the chances that Michigan will actually pull through and become one of the next states to allow people to buy weed like they do beer? Several articles published over the past week have attempted to handicap the efforts to legalize recreational marijuana in Michigan, suggesting that the state's "muddy cannabis climate has created an environment that is ripe for change." But none of these articles have been able to provide any substantial thought into why legalization is likely to happen…or not.

So, we have come up with our own prediction.

It seems as long as MILegalize can collect enough signatures to earn a spot on the ballot in the 2016 election, Michigan stands a relatively good chance of approving legal weed. Some of the most recent polls indicate that somewhere between 56 and 58 percent of the state population believes marijuana should be legalized for recreational purposes. So, if the issue is put in the hands of the voters, the state could be lock, especially when you consider that several ballot measure to decriminalize pot possession have been successful across the state in recent years.

Again, the primary concern, at least for now, is in getting enough signatures collected to push through the MILegalize initiative. The group has until Jun 1, 2016 to gather the 252,000 signatures needed to put their proposal in front of voters.

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