HARD WORK AND PERSISTENCE

MILegalize put its best foot forward when trying to get its proposal for recreational cannabis on the ballot, but the organization will have to set its sights on a future election. The Michigan Supreme Court stated last month that the MILegalize proposal was unfortunately declined, and would not be appearing on the November ballot. Things are looking up for Michigan though, as Governor Rick Snyder recently signed a trio of bills that will better regulate medical cannabis in the state and have a positive impact on the local cannabis community. While the situation regarding MILegalize’s ballot initiative is not ideal, it will leave extra time for MILegalize to refocus and try again in the future.

MILegalize had collected over 375,000 signatures for their petition to legalize cannabis for recreational use in the state of Michigan. However, the Board of State Canvassers responded by saying that over 135,000 of the collected signatures were collected outside of a 180-day period, determining them to be stale. The group had spent the better part of the last year stating in testimony and at hearings and announcing that the state law couldn’t constitutionally require all signatures to be gathered within 180 days of being submitted.

The group continuously jumped through hoops, bringing their case further and further up the judicial ladder until they finally landed in the Michigan Court of Claims. This final loss for the campaign means that they will have to look to another election year to get recreational on Michigan’s ballot.

CULTURE spoke with Jeffrey Hank, the Founder of MILegalize, who explained how MILegalize’s proposal would have led to the most liberal cannabis legalization laws in America. If passed, the law would have been tax free for patients, with only a 10 percent tax for others at 10 percent. It would have also allowed each person of legal age the ability to cultivate 12 plants with an unlimited possession amount.

“National groups gave ZERO funding to MILegalize. We raised $1.1 million-plus from grassroots Michiganians.”

Unfortunately, a Court of Claims judge argued that the court had “no clear legal duty” to count the 200,000 stale signatures toward the petition in time to make the 2016 ballot.

“With even a little help from national groups we would have finished our petition drive earlier and won this year on the ballot,” Hank stated. “National groups gave zero funding to MILegalize. We raised $1.1 million-plus from grassroots Michiganians.”

The biggest hurdle to getting MILegalize on the ballot was a corrupt Michigan political system that refused to acknowledge the people’s will and went to extreme methods to engage in unprecedented voter suppression. Seriously.

Although 2016 will not prove to bring recreational cannabis to Michigan, the possibility still holds for the future “At this point, no hope for 2016,” Hank said. “But the MILegalize petition could still be on the next ballot once litigation is sorted out. If not, we will run another petition.”

The fight remains for MILegalize into the future. Michiganians who want to support this cause to ensure its placement on a future ballot can follow the group on Facebook or donate through their website, MILegalize.com.

Hank is dedicated to continuing the fight, “We are not going away and will be back one way or another even stronger. The organization remains united and more committed than ever with a huge network, resources, knowledge and experience.”