MichMash: Marijuana Could Once Again Be On Your Ballot in 2019

Voters could reverse their local governments’ decisions to ban cannabis businesses.

Marijuana Plant Cannabis Pot Weed USDA.gov 11/20/2018

WDET Digital

Recreational marijuana is now legal in Michigan. But some Michigan voters aren’t done casting ballots on cannabis issues.

Many local governments quickly decided to ban marijuana businesses from operating within their borders after the November election. But that’s not necessarily the final word in those communities. The new marijuana law allows voters to circulate petitions and put on the ballot questions regarding whether or not to allow those businesses to operate.

Already, residents in the Northern Michigan town of Vanderbilt will make the final decision on whether or not to allow that activity. Cannabis activists say there are serious conversations happening in several other Michigan communities in 2019.

As part of the weekly series MichMash, Cheyna Roth and Jake Neher talk about those new grassroots efforts and how they demonstrate that there really is no such thing as an “off-year” in politics.

Click on the audio player above to hear that conversation.

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Authors

  • Cheyna Roth is the co-host and creator of WDET's state politics podcast, MichMash. She has been an audio journalist for almost a decade, covering major events like presidential elections, college scandals, the Michigan Legislature and more, appearing on NPR and across Michigan public radio stations. Cheyna is also a senior producer and podcast host for Slate.com, having produced and hosted shows like Political Gabfest, The Waves, and What Next TBD. Also an author, Cheyna has written two true crime books and her written work has appeared in Broadly, Slate, and MLive, among others.
  • Jake Neher is senior producer for Detroit Today and host of MichMash for 101.9 WDET. He previously reported on the Michigan Legislature for the Michigan Public Radio Network.