MARQUETTE — Voters will head to the polls Tuesday to make a decision on Proposal 1, the Marijuana Legalization Initiative, a proposed voter-initiated law that would legalize recreational marijuana if a simple majority of voters cast their ballots in favor of the proposal.

With the decision drawing closer, opponents and proponents of legalizing recreational marijuana have been working to inform the public about their respective views by voicing their opinions about its potential harms and benefits.

One major issue surrounding the legalization of recreational marijuana involves the revenues from it. Those who support the proposal say it will bring hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue, but those who oppose it say the increased costs to law enforcement and higher crime will mitigate the effects of the increased revenue.

“If you talk to people in Colorado who are in government, that will tell you that the costs that are associated with this outweigh any increase in revenue they’ve received,” Marquette County Prosecutor Matt Wiese said at a recent press conference. The event was held by local law enforcement in conjunction with Healthy and Productive Michigan, an organization campaigning in opposition to Proposal 1.

Josh Hovey, spokesperson for the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, said he hasn’t been able to find any reports to verify that the legalization of recreational marijuana has cost states more than the revenue that is brought in. He also noted the respective governors of Washington and Colorado were not in favor of recreational marijuana when they campaigned prior to its legalization, but they have since supported it.

“When we’re going to stop arresting 20,000 people a year for petty possession issues, that alone is a $90 million savings based on a figure in the state Senate Fiscal Agency analysis, and so we’re going to save law enforcement resources there,” Hovey said. “It doesn’t make sense that when they stop arresting 20,000 people that law enforcement costs increase somehow.”

Hovey said he feels legalizing marijuana in Michigan will help the state’s finances, but Wiese said the fact that marijuana businesses are unable to deposit their cash in federally insured banks will make the cash from the revenue difficult to track and tax.

“Colorado had a lot of problems with legally incorporating the money into their economy because under federal laws and banking regulations, marijuana is not legal,” Wiese said.

Hovey acknowledges that it will be a cash industry to begin with, but noted federal legislation may address this issue in the future and that Proposal 1 includes language to require secure transportation companies to transport the product and cash to “make sure that it’s done safely.”

“The business owners that are interested in getting into this industry, they want to pay their taxes, they want to be legally recognized responsible businesses and they look forward to the regulation and wanting to behave just like any other business,” Hovey said.

Another concern surrounding the legalization of recreational marijuana is a potential increase in the population’s marijuana use and drugged-driving incidents.

“I think most of the opposition to Proposal 1 is based on the false assumption that usage is just going to increase and it’s like they assume that marijuana isn’t already readily available in the state,” Hovey said. “And the fact is it’s here, and anyone who wants to try it or use it has very, very easy access to it. And our proposal is not about trying to be pro-marijuana. It’s not pro-marijuana, it’s pro-regulation and recognizing the fact that what we’re doing right now isn’t working.”

Wiese said he believes drugged-driving incidents will increase as a result of marijuana legalization and is concerned about the lack of quantitative roadside sobriety tests for the substance.

“We do know there’s a huge case of drugged-driving cases already without recreational marijuana. It only makes sense we’re going to see another huge increase,” Wiese said.

Furthermore, Wiese and other officials at the press conference said they felt legalization could be harmful due to edible marijuana-infused products, which they said target children and could be eaten mistakenly, as well as the potential for increased access to and interest in using marijuana by youths.

Hovey emphasized that no one wants to see children using marijuana, saying that marijuana, like alcohol, would be illegal for those under 21, and that regulations would be in place to prevent underage users from ingesting marijuana.

Wiese said that while he doesn’t see a value in legalizing marijuana, he feels there would be better ways to go about doing it outside of the proposal.

“I could certainly find it a lot more palatable if we weren’t allowing for candy marijuana, for suckers that are marijuana-infused; if we were allowing for reasonable amounts, not 10 ounces; if we had some way to make sure if people were abusing it and driving an automobile under the influence, that we could sanction them for that,” he said. “If we could set up a system where it was responsibly handled, responsibly used and responsibly regulated, and that we had tools we could use to address it when it’s not responsibly used, then I think we could live with it.”

Conversely, Hovey believes state-by-state legalization and a voter-initiated ballot proposal is the best current option for marijuana legalization.

“We have ballot initiatives in Michigan because sometimes when politicians don’t have the courage to enact the will of the people, it’s up to the people to take action and matters into their own hands,” Hovey said. “We collected 360,000 signatures to put this issue on the ballot and this is a perfect example of an issue where the people are way ahead of the politicians and the bureaucrats, and we’re going to let the people have their say.”