Michigan Polling Sales Tax vs Marijauna Tax
Press Release do not release until January 25th
of 2015
Poll Shows Higher Support Among Michigan Voter For
Taxing Marijuana Verses Raising Sales Tax For Road And School Funding
January 21, 2015
FLINT- The
Michigan voters will return to the polls to decide whether or not to increase
the Michigan sales tax rate from six to seven percent. According to recent Survey USA Poll
commissioned by the Michigan Medical Marijuana Report, Michiganders would
rather tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol.
The poll indicates that the majority of Michigan voters are
against raising state sales tax to pay for roads and schools. A raise on sales
tax was approved by the legislature and Governor Rick Snyder during last years
in lame duck session, and will be voted on this May in a special statewide
election. Of the 500 registered Michigan voters surveyed, only 43% support
raising sales tax to pay for roads. 49% opposed the hike and 8% were not sure.
The poll shows 64% of Michigan adults would likely vote in
favor of taxing and regulating Marijuana, as opposed to raising taxing across
the board. 28% of respondents opposed regulating marijuana like alcohol, and 8%
was not sure.
"The road tax proposal is in serious trouble. Voters are
suspicious of more taxes imposed upon the general population. There are other,
more creative ways to generate revenue to fund roads and schools. Regulation
and taxation of marijuana is an alternative voters seem to prefer." Tim
Beck, Safer Michigan Coalition Chair.
“In these tough economic times when Michigan citizens look
at other states like Colorado which is taking in tens of millions of dollars in
tax revenue by regulating marijuana like alcohol and wonder, why we are not
doing it here.” states Ben Horner from the Cannabis Stakeholders Group.
Support for
regulating marijuana was highest amongst voters that identified themselves as independents
(68% yes), where as democrats (65% yes) and republicans (57% yes) was less. Of
all the demographics in favor of raising the Michigan sales tax the young
adults between the ages of 18-34, showed the greatest support for increasing
the sales tax (49% yes). This poll of
500 registered voters was conducted on January 20, has a margin of error of
4.5%. Approximately one third of the participants answered questions from cell
phones and two-thirds by landlines.
Media Inquires:
Ben Horner, Cannabis Stakeholders Group Director
Phone: 810-338-5645
email: mmmreport@gmail.com
Tim Beck, Safer Michigan Coalition Chair
Phone: 313-414-2058
Email: trbeck1@gmail.com
Statement of Support
Reid Murdoch, director from Students for Sensible Drug
Policy (SSDP):
“It’s not surprising that Michigan voters would rather tax
and regulate cannabis like alcohol to pay for schools and roads, rather than
increase sale tax,” said Reid Murdoch, who directs a chapter of Students for
Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) at the University of Michigan Law School and serves
on SSDP’s national Board of Directors. “Michigan is watching states like
Colorado and Washington, whose tremendously successful tax-and-regulate
programs have generated multimillions in revenue for spending on schools.
Cannabis regulation is a bipartisan issue in Michigan, and would be a major
windfall as our state struggles to fund its schools. Improved social outcomes
and reduced criminal justice spending are further reasons for fiscally
responsible Michiganders to join Students for Sensible Drug Policy in
supporting this important reform.”
Allen F. St. Peirre, executive director for National
Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML):
"With state and local budgets all over the US under
strain, notably in Michigan, and the need for infrastructure repair and
improvement in the state is great. Rather than increase taxes on everyone in
Michigan, why not tax the state's cannabis cultivators, sellers and consumers?
Other states, notably Colorado and Washington State, are now taking in tens of
million annually in new taxes. The Michigan voters recently polled seem to
strongly agree with the premise that new cannabis taxes are better than
increased sales taxes on everyone."
Here Are The Results of SurveyUSA News Poll #22072
Geography Surveyed: Michigan
Data Collected: 01/20/2015 -
01/21/2015
Release Date: 01/22/2015 10:05 ET
Sponsor: Michigan Medical
Marijuana Report
|
1
|
Asked of 500 registered voters
|
|
Margin of Sampling Error for this question = ±
4.5%
|
|
43%
|
Yes
|
|
49%
|
No
|
|
8%
|
Not Sure
|
|
2
|
Asked of 500 registered voters
|
|
Margin of Sampling Error for this question = ±
4.3%
|
|
64%
|
Yes
|
|
28%
|
No
|
|
8%
|
Not Sure
|
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