V.G.I.P Update - by Kathy Hess

“If enough valid petition signatures are collected, a proposal may appear on a future election ballot relating to the issue of marijuana. The proposal would make the possession and cultivation of limited amounts of marijuana to adults age 21 or older only by stores that would be licensed by the state, and finally, it would tax the sale of marijuana by these state licensed stores. If this proposal were to appear on a future election ballot, if the election were held today, would you vote yes to approve the proposal, or would you vote no to oppose?”

This question was polled by EPIC-MRA, a full service survey research firm to Michigan residents, and the results are
looking good.

Climbing the cannabis ladder, residents approval of the Recreation Pot Proposal is up to 61%, that’s up 10 points in just 3 years. Six out of 10 Michigan voters are either strongly supporting or leaning toward supporting a ballot proposal that would legalize limited amounts of marijuana for recreational use, according to the newest poll.

“I think the most important thing is it's now hit the magic 60 percent in terms of voter support and that has just been a continual increase the past three years from 50 percent,” said Bernie Porn, president of EPIC-MRA, which conducted the survey on behalf of Michigan NORML, the state chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. The survey found that 45 percent would “definitely” vote yes, 13 percent would “probably vote yes” and 3 percent are “lean toward voting yes.” Support for legalization has increased by four percentage points since a February 2017 survey and eight percent since a March 2016 survey

Historically, ballot proposals that attain the 60 percent support level are perceived as more likely to be enacted into law than those that enter the election cycle with lower levels of support.. A total of 35 percent of those surveyed said they would oppose the proposal. Of that, 28 percent were a definite no, 6 percent a probably no, and 1 percent were leaning toward voting no. Some four percent indicated they were undecided on the proposal.

 Among younger voters, those aged 18 to 34, a total of 87 percent are supporting the proposal. Porn noted that unlike the survey conducted in 2017, Republican party voters have swung from being opposed to the proposal to a 48-48 percent split. In the 2017 survey, independent support was around 50 percent. In the 2018 survey, 72 percent of independent voters said they would support legalization. Democratic voters still remain the strongest in favor of legalization with 74 percent of all Democrats in favor.


All in all, it would appear that all of our hard work at ending marijuana prohibition is exactly where we want to be heading into November. 

But complacency is the enemy of progress. 

Be without a doubt anti cannabis groups are going to be fighting our efforts hard. The death rattles of such rearward organizations are going to be strongly funded by pharmaceutical companies.  These companies are already scared about their loss of profits in states where cannabis has been legal in one form or another, people are replacing some of those medications with cannabis, and its damaging their numbers.  In the pharma companies attempts to stem the bleeding, they have repeatedly thrown millions at anti cannabis campaigns in states where any sort of marijuana legalization measures have been on the ballot.

We cannot, must not, be complacent, if we want progress.  Do your part, GET OUT and VOTE!