Michigan is one of the most advanced US states in terms of psychedelics decriminalization, yet activists organizing a signature campaign for a proposal announced that they are withdrawing the initiative from this year’s election. They said they'd aim instead at 2024, reported Marijuana Moment.
The drafted bill, Michigan Initiative for Community Healing, is the result of the combined work among the Decriminalize Nature's Michigan chapter and Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), who have been working together since December 2021.
June 1 was the final date for the presentation. The proposed bill was approved for signature gathering at the end of March, which gave the organizations only two months to gather the required 340,000 signatures.
Nevertheless, when granted permission to collect signatures, co-director of Decriminalize Nature Michigan Myc Williams seemed positive. “Michigan continues to lead progress in the Midwest and today we mark another powerful step toward justice.”
And even now that they made the decision to come back with the proposal in 2024, Williams expressed a realistic yet reassuring point of view.
“We knew a June 1st deadline to make the 2022 ballot was ambitious with just over two months to collect, and now we know we have the momentum necessary to move forward with a normal 180[-day] collection period. We’ll see ya at the polls in 2024.”
On whether the already obtained signatures could be used for the 2024 presentation, Williams told Marijuana Moment that “(they) are still valid for 2024 as long as we turn in during this election cycle.”
Photo Courtesy of Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.
