Arizona: Push To Legalize Recreational Marijuana

[420]

Phoenix - On Monday morning, there will be a new era of lawmakers in Arizona. The new governor and legislators will have a lot to weigh in on, including whether or not to legalize recreational marijuana.

Advocates say legalizing it probably won't happen this year. Proponents, including attorney Ryan Hurley, argue the prospects of a decriminalization bill getting a fair hearing at the Legislature are essentially zero. He, along with others, are taking matters into their own hands.

"We're talking about millions and potentially tens of millions in savings for the criminal justice system," said Hurley of Rose Law Group. He said he's been working around the clock, crafting a voter initiative to legalize the use of recreational marijuana.

"We're likely to draft the initiative in a way that protects the medical marijuana program that is beneficial for the state and for the marijuana consumers in the state of Arizona that will pass muster with the voters," he said.

Hurley said there's no hope a state law will be passed in the Legislature after a failed effort by Democratic lawmaker Mark Cardenas to introduce a bill legalizing the recreational use.

"That's why we're working day and night getting a bill ready for the 2016 session to run as a citizens' initiative," Hurley said.

He said he's confident the initiative will register with voters and cited polling for the legalization at more than 50 percent. He also said the move would generate $50 million to $100 million the first year alone in Arizona.

"It's the way that the country is heading, it's the way that Arizona is heading and I think what we're able to do is we're able to realize that having a fully functional medical marijuana program that transitions into an adult use, if they so desire, is the best way to do it," Hurley said.

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[Boscoe]

"We're talking about millions and potentially tens of millions in savings for the criminal justice system,"

Sounds nice until you realize that Arizona has a for-profit prison system.

 

[papamike74]

"We're talking about millions and potentially tens of millions in savings for the criminal justice system,"

Sounds nice until you realize that Arizona has a for-profit prison system.

Like most states now. The legislature here runs on a "Bully" system and always has. In the late 90's (I think)MMJ was passed in a citizen initiative and when passed was blocked by same legislators, contending the voters were deceived by ballot and gutted what passed. Hopefully we have matured as real adults do and can get this ? behind us and focus on real problems that can be solved while not focusing on weed. Mike peace

 

[hempaz]

I like the idea of an amendment to the Arizona Constitution better than an introduced state house of representatives bill, or an introduced state senate bill for that matter.

Both of which, if approved, would probably end up being vetoed by Arizona's newly elected governor.

Being a political 'do-nut' state, with a conservative base in the center of the state (Maricopa County) and a rim of counties that tend to lean blue, including city #2 Tucson, Arizona legislators are currently stuck in a '50's mindset and I doubt the bill will make it out of committee again.

The $50 tax is a little bit stiff, given the course of retail #MedMj is headed to approximately $25 per pound for hi-quality flower buds with the advent of native american sales now buffeting both the current #MedMj and future #RecMj dispensary models.

Before dispensaries, but after #MedMj was made legal in Arizona by voter decree, the Director of Health and Human Services could stamp each green card approval with the words 'Authority To Cultivate'.

And, as a consequence, each #MedMj patient could grow (12) personal #MedMj plants with a theoretical limit of 2.5 ounces every two weeks.

That right given to us by the voters of the State of Arizona was then repealed by the Department of Health and Human Services with the advent of the opening of legal dispensaries in order to direct cash flow towards the newly awarded dispensaries.

The right of the people of the State of Arizona to cultivate their own medicine should not be abridged.

Especially now that the native tribes of Arizona and New Mexico and Utah all have the option to engage in both #MedMj and #RecMj cultivation with the tacit blessing of the federal government.

And, the natives that opt for cannabis cultivation are not thinking small potatoes.

They want 10,000 heads of 'lettuce' grown in their new acre-wide facilities PER DAY !

Imagine what levels of poundage of cannabis flower buds can be grown in such multi-million dollar mega facilities!

Most of the flower buds will simply be distilled into wax and budder and glass to ease the strain on transportation of the portable pot items into the fledgling marketplace, thus bypassing the current dispensary framework altogether.

Tribal areas of the White Mountains in the eastern part of the state, the Gila River tribal lands immediately east of downtown Scottsdale, areas south of the City of Phoenix, and areas north near the Grand Canyon (Hulapai) and the Coconino National Forest are all now in jeopardy of being overrun with marijuana grows designed to do one thing.

Turn a plant into cash.