LANSING (WKZO AM/FM) — The question of whether or not recreational marijuana will be legalized in Michigan will be left to the voters to decide after the Republican majority in the State House could not muster the votes to approve it first.
House speaker Tom Leonard made the declaration mid afternoon as the 40-day time limit was running out, that the votes just weren’t there, saying it shouldn’t have been any surprise at this point.
Kalamazoo Democrat Jon Hoadley says this is the way it should be to let the hundreds of thousands who signed petitions get their wish and to have it on the ballot.
Arguments that it will be much harder to modify if voters approve it, than had the legislature approved it were not enough to overcome the aversion Republican lawmakers have to pot.
It may have been a no win situation for Republican lawmakers, who would have upset their base if they voted for recreational marijuana.
Now they face the likelihood that the issue will bring out more democrats to vote this November, motivated by the Legalization question.
