Poll Shows Higher Support Among Michigan Voter For Taxing Marijuana Verses Raising Sales Tax For Road And School Funding
Jan 24, 2015, 05:00 ET
FLINT, Mich., Jan. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Michigan voters will return to the polls to decide whether or not to increase the Michigan sales tax rate from six to seven percent. According to a recent Survey USA Poll commissioned by the Michigan Medical Marijuana Report, Michiganders would rather tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol.
The poll indicates that the majority of Michigan voters are against raising state sales tax to pay for roads and schools. A raise on sales tax was approved by the legislature and Governor Rick Snyder during last years in lame duck session, and will be voted on this May in a special statewide election. Of the 500 registered Michigan voters surveyed, only 43% support raising sales tax to pay for roads. 49% opposed the hike and 8% were not sure.
The poll shows 64% of Michigan adults would likely vote in favor of taxing and regulating Marijuana, as opposed to raising taxing across the board. 28% of respondents opposed regulating marijuana like alcohol, and 8% was not sure.
"The road tax proposal is in serious trouble. Voters are suspicious of more taxes imposed upon the general population. There are other, more creative ways to generate revenue to fund roads and schools. Regulation and taxation of marijuana is an alternative voters seem to prefer," Tim Beck, Safer Michigan Coalition Chair.
"In these tough economic times when Michigan citizens look at other states like Colorado which is taking in tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue by regulating marijuana like alcohol and wonder, why we are not doing it here," states Ben Horner from the Cannabis Stakeholders Group.
Support for regulating marijuana was highest amongst voters that identified themselves as independents (68% yes), where as democrats (65% yes) and republicans (57% yes) was less. Of all the demographics in favor of raising the Michigan sales tax the young adults between the ages of 18-34, showed the greatest support for increasing the sales tax (49% yes). This poll of 500 registered voters was conducted on January 20, has a margin of error of 4.5%. Approximately one third of the participants answered questions from cell phones and two-thirds by landlines.
For a link to the full Poll Results:
http://mmmrmag.blogspot.com
http://www.cannabisstakeholdersgroup.org
Media Inquires:
Ben Horner, Cannabis Stakeholders Group Director
Phone: 810-338-5645
email: [email protected]
Tim Beck, Safer Michigan Coalition Chair
Phone: 313-414-2058
Email: [email protected]
Statement of Support
Reid Murdoch, director from Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP):
"It's not surprising that Michigan voters would rather tax and regulate cannabis like alcohol to pay for schools and roads, rather than increase sale tax," said Reid Murdoch, who directs a chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) at the University of Michigan Law School and serves on SSDP's national Board of Directors. "Michigan is watching states like Colorado and Washington, whose tremendously successful tax-and-regulate programs have generated multimillions in revenue for spending on schools. Cannabis regulation is a bipartisan issue in Michigan, and would be a major windfall as our state struggles to fund its schools. Improved social outcomes and reduced criminal justice spending are further reasons for fiscally responsible Michiganders to join Students for Sensible Drug Policy in supporting this important reform."
Allen F. St. Peirre, executive director for National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML):
"With state and local budgets all over the US under strain, notably in Michigan, and the need for infrastructure repair and improvement in the state is great. Rather than increase taxes on everyone in Michigan, why not tax the state's cannabis cultivators, sellers and consumers? Other states, notably Colorado and Washington State, are now taking in tens of million annually in new taxes. The Michigan voters recently polled seem to strongly agree with the premise that new cannabis taxes are better than increased sales taxes on everyone."
SOURCE MMM Publications