Marijuana Fight In Home Stretch

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With less than two weeks before the election, backers of Proposition One have released their first ad. They’re hoping to convince voters to make Michigan the first state in the Midwest to legalize recreational marijuana. The commercial, from the group MI Legalize, argues that the move would reduce dependency on opiates, citing a drop in opiate prescriptions in states that have decriminalized marijuana. Karen O’Keefe, a Michigander with the Marijuana Policy Project, tells us she’s convinced society would be safer if people could buy marijuana in a store instead of on the black market.

It’s only through regulation that we can be sure that consumers have a safe, tested product that they know isn’t contaminated with dangerous pesticide or even laced with other drugs.”

Opponents maintain marijuana is a dangerous drug that breeds addiction and crime, and that the federal government is unlikely to change its stance on marijuana anytime soon. The pro-Prop One ad touts new jobs and a new source of tax revenue.