Valiant Victory Lap

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]O[/dropcap]n the fateful evening of Nov. 6, voters turned out in droves to voice their opinions and vote at the midterm elections, making Michigan the 10th state to legalize recreational cannabis. While state residents were adamantly divided between political party state agendas—loosening cannabis laws was something that the majority of Michigan voters could agree upon.

Proposal 1 maintained a double-digit lead for the majority of the night. The bill’s final tallies indicated that 55.9 percent voted in favor of the bill and 44.1 percent voted in opposition. The bill’s proponents weren’t too surprised at the results.

“Polling had consistently shown support for Prop. 1 in the high 50s to low 60s over the past two years, so we were feeling confident in our ability to win,” Josh Hovey, spokesman for the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol, told CULTURE. “The opposition campaign pumped a lot of money into TV ads in the last week of the election, and that caused some nervousness in the days leading up to the election. But in the end we felt that voters would side with our logical, data-driven campaign messages over the opposition’s fear mongering. Fortunately, that’s what happened.”

Adults ages 21 and over may grow up to 12 plants for personal consumption. Adults may store up to 10 ounces at home, as long as amounts 2.5 ounces and higher are stored in locked containers. A 10 percent sales tax will be diverted to schools, roads and local municipalities.

Per state law, ballot initiatives take effect 10 days after Election Day results are certified, meaning possession of recreational cannabis will be legal in Michigan sometime in early December. Sales will take a little bit longer. Under Prop. 1, the state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) and the Michigan State Legislature must begin accepting applications for retail stores within 12 months of the bill’s effective date, or by December 2019. But according to LARA Director Shelly Edgerton, it could take another year for licenses to be approved and for sales to begin.

The other key win for cannabis advocates in Michigan was the election of Democratic Gov.-elect Gretchen Whitmer. All four Republican candidates for governor opposed recreational cannabis. Conservative Michigan natives like Ted Nugent publicly expressed their dismay that liberal leaders had seized control, and said that he is “hardcore” against recreational cannabis in Michigan. But with Whitmer in office, Michigan’s cannabis industry could move forward with little opposition. In addition, Democrat Dana Nessel will be the next Michigan Attorney General, replacing Bill Schuette. “Michigan will have a new governor and attorney general next year, and they’ll be key to the successful implementation of the business licensing,” Hovey said. “We’ll be working closely with them to ensure the rules and regulations are written in a way that is fair and equitable for everyone who wants to get into this new industry.”

“[Legalization in Michigan] means the days of this country’s experiment with cannabis prohibition will soon come to an end. It means that it’s only a matter of time until marijuana is removed from the list of Schedule I substances and that federal laws are changed to allow banks to do business with this new industry.”

For Hovey, the passage of Prop. 1 means a lot of things. “It means that the days of this country’s experiment with cannabis prohibition will soon come to an end,” Hovey explained. “It means that it’s only a matter of time until marijuana is removed from the list of Schedule I substances and that federal laws are changed to allow banks to do business with this new industry.”

According to The Washington Post, with Michigan added to the list of states with adult-use cannabis sales, 80 million Americans—or one out of every four Americans—now lives in a state with recreational cannabis laws. It’s not only a victory for Michigan, but a victory for all Americans.