Pubdate: Fri, 12 Jun 2015
Source: Sun, The (Yuma, AZ)
Copyright: 2015 The Sun
Contact: http://www.yumasun.com/sections/opinion/submit-letters/
Website: http://www.yumasun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1258
Author: Glenn Hamer
Note: Glenn Hamer is the president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of 
Commerce and Industry.

ARIZONA CHAMBER AGAINST LEGALIZATION OF POT

Arizona voters next year will likely be asked whether to legalize the 
recreational use of marijuana. The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and 
Industry will oppose any such legalization efforts.

We arrived at our decision after careful consideration of the 
experiences of other states that have legalized marijuana, the 
arguments of proponents and research by our foundation.

After looking at all the facts, we've determined that there is no 
upside to the legalization of recreational marijuana. The negative 
consequences that could result from legalization affect our business 
environment and the public's health.

On the business side, recreational marijuana exposes employers to 
increased workplace accidents, more workers' compensation claims and 
lower overall workplace productivity. We also can't ignore the 
adverse effects marijuana has on adolescents' developing brains, 
which has serious implications for the development of Arizona's 
workforce talent pipeline. No credible economic development 
organization would tout marijuana legalization as a reason to locate 
in Arizona. Legalization sends the wrong message to the companies we 
want to grow and invest here.

On the public health side, Arizona faces increased rates of addiction 
and the costs that come with drug treatment and rehabilitation. Also, 
research indicates that there has been a tripling of fatal car 
crashes involving marijuana, and that the number of drivers with 
marijuana in their system has seen a dramatic rise. And keep in mind 
that today's pot is not the same pot that was at Woodstock. Today's 
marijuana is significantly more potent, containing more than four 
times the level of THC than the pot of the 1960s and 70s. The rising 
potency also leads to a host of issues with so-called "edibles" and 
the effects of exposure to highly concentrated amounts of the 
psychoactive substance.

Legalization proponents will tell you that Arizona can expect rosy 
budget revenues from marijuana taxes. The evidence suggests otherwise.

Colorado, for example, which legalized recreational marijuana in 
2012, has fallen far short of the $70 million in annual tax revenues 
promised by proponents. And establishing a new governmental 
bureaucracy to regulate pot isn't cheap, not to mention the costs of 
drug treatment and rehabilitation programs. Legalization is a risky 
and expensive proposition.

The question of whether to legalize recreational marijuana has 
farreaching implications for our state. Given the enormity of the 
consequences, the Legislature would be a better venue for debate. 
Legalization is not an issue that should be decided at the ballot 
box, where, if passed, it will be essentially carved in stone.

Proposition 105, Arizona's Voter Protection law, which was passed in 
1998, severely limits the ability of the Legislature to reverse or 
alter a voter-passed measure. With legalization experiments in other 
states still very much in their infancy, we should proceed with 
extreme caution before we pass a new law by initiative that will be 
difficult to ever change or undo.

There will always be individuals who want to get high, and many will 
figure out a way to do so. But Arizona should not calibrate a 
sweeping, untested public policy effort around them.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom