Here’s When Michigan’s Marijuana Legalization Law Goes Into Effect

Michigan’s new adult-use marijuana legalization law that was approved by voters earlier this month will officially take effect on December 6, according to state officials.

Adults 21 and older in Michigan, which on Election Day became the first state in the Midwest to fully legalize cannabis, will be allowed to cultivate, possess and consume marijuana on that date—exactly 10 calendar days after the Board of State Canvassers meets to certify election results, MLive.com reported.

But it’s still going to be a while until the state’s commercial cannabis system is up and operational. Regulators have one year to figure out the rules surrounding retail sales, and are supposed to start accepting license applications for prospective marijuana businesses starting in December 2019.

Michigan voters approved the legalization measure, Proposal 1, 56-44 percent.

Under the law, adults will be permitted to possess, purchase, grow and consume cannabis. Each adult will be allowed to cultivate up to 12 plants for personal use, and they can possess up to 10 ounces at their residence.

The ballot measure lays out a 10 percent excise tax imposed on retail sales. Tax revenue from those sales will be distributed to local governments, K-12 education and infrastructure projects.

Officials with the secretary of state’s office and the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs told local media outlets on Friday that the Board of Canvassers will meet to certify the election results on November 26. Ten days after that—December 6—is when the new marijuana law takes effect.

Michigan might’ve been the only state in the region to fully legalize during the midterms, but another Midwestern state, Missouri, passed a medical cannabis initiative and Democratic gubernatorial candidates who support broad marijuana reforms won four key races in the region.

“The Midwest, which is the heartland of America—if legalization starts to take root there, it’s only a matter of time that federal law changes and that the rest of the country follows,” Jolene Forman, a staff attorney for the Drug Policy Alliance, told Marijuana Moment in an earlier interview.

The Midwest May Be the Next Frontier In Marijuana Legalization

Photo courtesy of Max Pixel.

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