Michigan voters may have the rare opportunity in the upcoming November election to decide whether the state should legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. That is as long as MILegalize, the group fighting to get an initiative in front of the people, has successfully managed to secure the signatures needed to qualify for the next phase of its campaign, and if it can avoid being sabotaged by the actions of the state legislature.

On Wednesday, organizers with the MILegalize crusade reportedly submitted more than 350,000 petitions to the Michigan Secretary of States office in hopes of qualifying the necessary 252,523 signatures its going to take to earn a spot on the November ballot. However, there is a distinct possibility that the majority of the signatures the group has collected in 2016 could be disqualified due to a piece of legislation currently lingering on the desk of Governor Rick Snyder asking for clarification to the 180-day limit the law is supposed to allow for signature collecting campaigns.

We were the only one who filed, so were just going to wait and see what the Bureau of Elections does, Jeff Hank, executive director of MILegalize, told reporters during a press conference outside the Secretary of States office. Governor Snyder hasnt signed the bill yet, so well kind of wait and see.

Not only does it appear that MILegalize is flying by the seat of its pants with respect to the next stage of its campaign, but from the way it looks, no one is really certain whether the push to illuminate the states signature collecting polices would have any impact on the groups movement to bring down prohibition across the state.

A report from the Associated Press indicates that neither Governor Snyders office nor the Secretary of State seems to know whether the bill, if signed into law, would even apply to the MILegalize initiative. At this point, Snyder still appears to be on fence about giving the legislation any consideration at all. But if he does sign the bill, and the powers that be end up castrating the MILegalize campaign, organizers have said from the beginning of all this 180-day-window-business that they will fight it out in court.

We dont think the 180-day rule is going to be applied, and if it is, then well definitely fight for every signature weve got, said Hank. Were preparing (for litigation), but we hope its not necessary.

Although it seems the fate of marijuana legalization in Michigan could be at the mercy of state controls, there is also the possibility the MILegalize campaign could end up being counted out by its own inability to secure enough valid signatures. Two ...