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State prosecutors speak out against marijuana ballot proposal

Posted at 9:33 AM, Sep 19, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-19 16:50:29-04

WYOMING, Mich. - The Kent County and Muskegon County Prosecutor, along with several other Michigan prosecutors and law enforcement agencies, are speaking out  Wednesday against a ballot proposal that would legalize recreational marijuana in the state.

Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker will be joined by Muskegon County Prosecutor DJ Hilson in Wyoming Wednesday morning. Other prosecutors are making public announcements Wednesday is other areas, including the Lansing area, Benton Harbor, Cadillac, Detroit area, and Saginaw area.

The group says that looking at what is happening in other states that have legalized marijuana show that the effect on the state would be "negative" and "significant." They point that marijuana-related traffic fatalities more than doubled in the year after retails sales of marijuana was allowed in Washington state. They says marijuana-related traffic deaths rose 62% in Colorado.

They also say that the Michigan ballot initiative allows for ten times the standard allowance that other states have allowed for recreational marijuana. Most other states that have passed initiatives only allow one ounce. They also say that Michigan's initiative includes one of the lowest proposed excise taxes on the marijuana, so the state's profits would be outweighed by other legal and health costs.

The board of directors for Network 180, a local rehabilitation treatment center, has also come out against the initiative.

You can see their entire presentation here:

We'll have more details on later editions of FOX 17 News.