Michiganders Support Medical Marijuana Access

A March 2008 poll found that 67% of Michigan voters support removing criminal penalties for the medical use of marijuana. And in each of five citywide medical marijuana votes, medical marijuana won in a landslide (with 62% in Flint in February 2007; with 63% in Traverse City and 61% in Ferndale in November 2005; with 74% in Ann Arbor in November 2004; and with 60% in Detroit in August 2004). It's time for the state to follow the lead of these cities and protect seriously ill patients from the threat of arrest and jail.

The Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care (MCCC) is a grassroots organization devoted to passing a medical marijuana initiative in Michigan in November 2008. Currently, seriously ill people who use marijuana for medical purposes face the same penalties as those who use marijuana recreationally.

On November 20, 2007, MCCC submitted nearly half a million signatures to the state to qualify the initiative for the ballot. And on March 3, 2008, the Board formally certified our signatures! The signatures officially counted by the state came back with an 80.2% validity rate, far exceeding what was needed to qualify. This is an historic step forward for patients throughout the state.

The medical marijuana initiative was then transmitted to the Michigan Legislature, which had 40 days to either pass it into law or send it to voters in November. Those 40 days expired on Friday, April 11 with the legislature taking no action -- meaning that MCCC's initiative will officially appear on the November ballot!

If the measure is passed by a majority of voters on Election Day 2008, Michigan law will allow patients to use, possess, and grow their own marijuana for medical purposes with their doctors’ approval. This would make Michigan the first medical marijuana state in the Midwest.

Michigan is home to more than 10 million people. If the measure passes, almost one quarter of the nation would live in states with medical marijuana laws.

Thank you to everyone who volunteered to collect signatures, signed the petition, and donated to the campaign. We could not have come this far without you, and we will need your support as we move forward!