Photo Credit: Martijn (Flickr CC)
Out of all the states bordering Wisconsin, only one has fully legalized cannabis: Michigan. Our eastern neighbors voted in the November 2018 election to allow adults 21 and older to possess, grow and consume marijuana.
Full legalization, unlike what some opponents of it may fear, does not mean a lawless, free-for-all anarchy. Michigan favors a private, discreet use of marijuana, allowing individuals to own 10 ounces at home but only 2.5 ounces in public. It is now legal for individuals to grow up to 12 marijuana plants at home, as long as it remains within a private residence. There are still penalties for breaking the law, however. If you own or grow more than the allowed amount of cannabis, you may receive a fine up to $500; but no penalty includes incarceration.
Businesses that make and sell marijuana require licenses and must pay a 10% tax in addition to regular state taxes, which will cover all costs incurred by regulation. Growing or selling marijuana without a license is a felony, punishable by four to 15 years in prison, depending on the amount. Operating a vehicle while under the influence of marijuana is a DUI in Michigan, and the same penalties apply no matter what drug (alcohol, cannabis, GHB, cocaine, etc.) the driver is “under the influence” of.
There are no places that officially sell recreational marijuana, as the first shops are expected to open in 2020, after lawmakers have settled all the legal details. The main sources of cannabis are currently the plants grown by private individuals and medical cannabis dispensaries that sell only to qualified patients since medical cannabis was legalized in 2008. While the number of qualified patients is relatively high (300,000 as of last October), most of the dispensaries are concentrated in highly populated areas like Detroit and Flint, leaving large swathes of the state with no access to dispensaries.
Given how recent the legalization of cannabis in Michigan is, currently we can only make assumptions as to its success. It is impossible to tell how efficient the taxing system will be, or if there will be a shift in criminality or DUI charges, for example. However, one of the arguments in favor of legalization was a study published by VS Strategies, a Colorado-based consulting firm, that estimated the Michigan cannabis market would be a pot of gold, bringing in more than $130 million to the state annually after just a few years. The real figures are likely as high or higher than this estimate, as VS Strategies’ home state, Colorado, has half as many inhabitants as Michigan but touted a $130 million tax revenue from cannabis in 2015, which increased to $266 million in 2018.
