Re: the Nov. 2 story "Steller wrong about propositions" While I normally appreciate and enjoy Tim Steller's column on a routine basis I fully disagree with his logic regarding his choice to vote no on Prop 205. Steller's logic is that at some point the legalization of marijuana will become "commercially" more acceptable than what is currently proposed on this years ballot. His view is that once again Arizona voters will have legalization on a future ballot. While Stellar waits for a more commercially acceptable plan, money flows into the drug cartels coffers, veterans are denied relief from their PTSD, police resources are wasted, courts are clogged and Arizona schools are denied tax revenue they desperately need. A 'no' vote on Prop 205 retains the ridiculous status quo of criminalizing the activity of thousands of Arizonans in order to line the pockets of both the cartels and special interests such as big Pharma and for profit private prisons. Todd Smyth Vail [end]
As Election Day Approaches, campaigns are making their closing arguments. Last week, Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenhauer, a Democrat who represents Portland, made a trip to our desert town to support the passing of Prop 205. He spoke in favor of the proposition on the University of Arizona campus, joined by local representatives such as Rep. Bruce Wheeler and Rep. Matt Kopec as well as Sunnyside School District Board member Daniel Hernandez, who is running for a District 2 spot in the state House of Representatives. [continues 765 words]
I strong support the legalization of marijuana but I'm voting no on Prop 205. I'm not a prohibitionist. I think the reefer madness propaganda campaign against Prop 205 is ridiculous. I'm naturopathic physician that provides medical marijuana certifications. I believe in medical marijuana - like many I have seen the miracles of this plant. I believe in recreational marijuana too - just not this way. First, props to all the hard work done throughout the state in efforts to get legalizing marijuana on the ballot. There are many reasons why I'm voting no THIS time. (I'm intentionally avoiding the legal points because Im not a lawyer. But its important to remember that minor infractions can lead easily lead to felonies). I'll boil it down to a few points against 205 that aren't talked about [continues 673 words]
When tackling today's major issues we can learn a lot from history. For example, when Congress was debating marijuana prohibition in 1937, Dr. William C. Woodward, President of the American Medical Association, argued strenuously against it. Dr. Walter Musto, Assistant Surgeon General told Congress marijuana "does not produce dependence it probably belongs in the same category as alcohol." Sadly, as is often the case, Congress was more susceptible to political rather than economic and scientific considerations, so marijuana prohibition was enacted. [continues 527 words]
There's at least one issue on Arizona's General Election ballot that crosses political and partisan lines -public health. All Arizonans, regardless of our stance on just about any other issue, can agree public health and safety are paramount to our wellbeing, productivity and quality of life. That's why, as two of Arizona's leading health and healthcare organizations, we've come together to oppose Proposition 205, the initiative that would legalize marijuana for recreational use. For hospitals and health professionals across our state, the issue comes down to this: Our mission is to help patients and protect public health. Prop 205 does neither. [continues 391 words]
Legalization Props: Part two We're two weeks out from the Nov. 8 election and the Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy have been kicking their "No on 205" campaign into high gear with a slew of ads filled with misleading information and flat out lies to dissuade voters from passing a law that would be part of any real responsible drug policy. With the amount of purported "facts" released by the ARDP, it's time for another installment of fact checks! [continues 761 words]
Arizona's economy is growing, attracting national businesses and diverse industries, professionals and civic-minded leaders to continue making our state even more prosperous. As a representative of business, community, education and government leaders, I view Proposition 205 as an impediment to our economic growth. Based on significant concerns, I join the East Valley Partnership board of directors in opposing Prop 205, the ballot initiative to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Prop 205 introduces substantial risks to the years of hard work of many to make Arizona a wholesome place to build a business, family and community. Prop 205 could damage our economy. Few would benefit from the monopoly on retail sales. From an employer standpoint, studies show that marijuana legalization has adverse outcomes for businesses and challenges employers trying maintain a safe and productive work environment. [end]
Discount Tire Co. quietly donated $1 million to the campaign opposing the legalization of marijuana for recreational use, prompting calls for a boycott by some who want the drug legal through Proposition 205. The tire company chain was founded by Bruce Halle, who lives in Paradise Valley and has an estimated net worth of $6.3 billion, according to Forbes' 2016 list of richest Americans. A spokesman for the company did not respond Monday to The Republic's inquiry about the donation. Halle is an ally of Gov. Doug Ducey, who is raising money to oppose Prop. 205. [continues 57 words]
Editor: The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States, asserts that one of the roles of government is to "promote the general welfare." Legalizing recreational marijuana is not promoting the general welfare! A Payson Roundup article (April 14, 2015) cited "a 30-year study of the effects of marijuana that found regular use associated with a 7-8 point drop in IQ, impaired cognition and increased risk for psychiatric disease, increased dropout rate, lower relationship success and lower life satisfaction." Many more such studies abound. [continues 326 words]
Despite a barrage of TV ads warning Arizona voters of the potential consequences of legalizing marijuana, about half of those surveyed in a new poll support creation of a system to tax and regulate sales of the drug. The Arizona Republic/Morrison/Cronkite News poll found 50 percent of the registered voters surveyed favor Proposition 205, which would legalize the drug for adults. Nearly 42 percent oppose it. And another 8 percent were undecided. The statewide telephone poll surveyed 779 registered voters between Oct. 10 and Oct. 15. The margin of error was 4 percentage points. [end]
BULLHEAD CITY - Proposition 205 is poorly written, creates two new bureaucracies and will greatly reduce Arizonans' ability to affect marijuana policy in the state, Laurence Schiff says. Schiff, a Kingman psychiatrist, outlined for the Colorado River Republican Women group several justifications for a "no" vote on the measure in the Nov. 8 election. Proposition 205 would legalize the possession and consumption of marijuana for anyone 21 or older and tax sales at 15 percent. He appeared on behalf of the "No on 205" campaign, but he said some aspects of the proposition make it hard even for pro-marijuana voters to support it. [continues 754 words]
Just before Prop 205 goes before voters, new dispensary licenses are approved making way for more MJ The Arizona Department of Health Services announced 31 new dispensary licenses last week, bringing the total number of Arizona dispensaries to 130 a month before Prop 205 appears on the November ballot. Nearly 750 potential pot purveyors applied for the limited number of licenses back in August in what many consider a lottery. While the AZDHS reviews applications to direct openings in areas closest to high concentrations of medical patients, nine of the 31 applicants were drawn in a literal lottery with each of the nine being tied with two to five other would-be dispensaries. [continues 469 words]
Will Arizonans make a deal to sacrifice regulatory concerns to eliminate the majority of marijuana felony arrests? Prop 205 trudges towards the ballot amidst mounting concerns from critics. Much of the literature condemning the marijuana legalization initiatives takes issue with the new system the proposition would put in place. On the surface, the law would legalize marijuana for adults over the age of 21 and possession outside of the home up to one ounce. Users would also be able to retain the yield from up to six plants within their homes. [continues 644 words]
Big Pharma steps up to oppose recreational weed initiative A couple weeks ago, we took a look at opioid use and prescription in Arizona and how states have seen a decrease in opioid overdoses after legalizing medical marijuana ("An MMJ Win," Sept. 1). Well, now it seems one such manufacturer of a fentanyl-based drug is concerned about recreational marijuana interfering with its future business plans. Insys Therapeutics plans to roll out a new line of THC medicine in the near future and decided to donate $500,000 to the Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy to aid the opposition of Prop 205. [continues 528 words]
Political reporter Yvonne Wingett Sanchez moderates a debate between Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery (against) and J.P. Holyoak from the Pro Prop 205 Campaign over legalizing recreational marijuana in Arizona. William Bennett needs to spend some time on a high school campus ("3 lies the pro-marijuana side is pushing ...," Sept. 19). Marijuana is already prevalent and widely available. I am going to support legalization because I want to get the drugs out of our schools. The people who sell marijuana also sell other things that are very nasty and things that can get you very addicted. [continues 119 words]
Rulings by two Superior Court judges will give voters a swing at two controversial ballot measures. That's a good thing. The effort to legalize marijuana and the push to increase Arizona's minimum wage to $12 an hour deal with issues that are complex and unlikely to be considered by the Legislature. Arizona's Constitution provides the ballot-initiative process to allow supporters of such ideas the right to go directly to voters to make their case. Arizona voters deserve the chance to decide these timely and important questions. These initiatives aren't simple. Is legalizing marijuana for recreational use the logical next step after voters approved medical marijuana? Should the state see this as a way to allow adults to make their own choices about an intoxicant? Will legalization send the message to young people that Arizona endorses getting stoned? [continues 350 words]
Supreme Court Rejects the Final Legal Challenge to Ariz. Voter Initiative A voter initiative to legalize recreational marijuana will be on the November ballot after the Arizona Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a final legal challenge to the measure. A lower court judge had thrown out the challenge, saying the group called Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy didn't have a right to sue. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jo Lynn Gentry's ruling went on to reject all of the reasons opponents laid out for keeping the initiative off the ballot. [continues 563 words]
Does Medical Marijuana Reduce Opiate Addiction? Many consider marijuana a "drug." However, it is no more a drug than cigarettes we smoke or alcohol we drink. In fact, there is only one difference that separates marijuana from these other substances and it is perhaps simultaneously the best case for calling marijuana a drug and revoking its status as a Schedule I controlled substance: it has medical benefit. One can argue that the medical benefits of marijuana have still not been tested to an extent that would satisfy medical benefit. Sure; after all, the FDA knows best. But there is one medical benefit that has only recently began to surface. [continues 472 words]
Much of the talk lately has been about the ballot initiative for recreational marijuana use, but Arizona will award licenses for 31 new medical marijuana dispensaries in October. Most will be worth millions of dollars the day they are issued, and all an applicant had to do was find a location that complies with local zoning and pay a $5,000 fee. This sounds simple enough, but there are serious problems. The Arizona Department of Health Services, which awards the licenses lottery-style, doesn't require dispensary applicants be 100 percent compliant with zoning the day of the drawing. [continues 1124 words]
PHOENIX - Foes of legalized marijuana asked the Arizona Supreme Court late Thursday to keep voters from ever getting to decide the issue. Attorney Brett Johnson wants the justices to rule that Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jo Lynn Gentry got it wrong when she ruled last week that a 2015 change in state law precludes outsiders - including initiative opponents - from challenging the legal sufficiency of the ballot measure. Gentry said that makes all of the alleged flaws Johnson said are in the petitions legally irrelevant. [continues 620 words]
Inside Arizona
