Homeless in Arizona

But I'm also against Prop 205, because it doesn't really legalize marijuana. Prop 205 is 99% about creating a monopoly for the 85 or so medical marijuana dispensaries on selling recreational marijuana.

These dispensaries already have a monopoly on growing and selling medical marijuana. They will get a second monopoly on growing and selling recreational marijuana.

Under Prop 205 having over 2.5 ounces of marijuana will still be a felony. Having over 5 grams of concentrated marijuana will be a felony. Growing over 6 plants for a single person will be a felony, and growing over 12 plants for a household of 2 or more people will also be a felony.

And selling any of that marijuana you bought for $300 an ounce legally to a friend will be a felony.

Prop 205 was written by MPP or the Marijuana Policy Project to make billionaires out of the special interest groups that have taking over MPP.

Source

Poll: Arizona voters still favor legalizing marijuana

Yvonne Wingett Sanchez , The Republic | azcentral.com 10:04 a.m. MST October 20, 2016

The Arizona Republic/Morrison/Cronkite News poll released Oct. 20, 2016, found that 50 percent of registered voters favor Proposition 205, which would legalize marijuana, and nearly 42 percent oppose it. Wochit

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.

With early voting underway, public attitudes about the measure remain largely unchanged since the organizations' August poll. This despite millions of dollars in spending by both sides. The August survey found 50 percent of registered voters favored legalization, 40 percent opposed it, and 10 percent were undecided.

Arizona voters still favor legalizing marijuana Most voters support minimum wage hike Arizona voters oppose wall, mass deportations About The Republic/Morrison/Cronkite News poll Foes of legal marijuana are making the case that Prop. 205 would endanger children, jeopardize the state's economy and lead to more drugged driving. At the same time, proponents argue a legal and taxed system would make communities safer, pump money into schools and aid veterans suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Public opinion pollster Mike O'Neil, who reviewed the poll, said the survey offers "substantial evidence" Prop 205 will pass.

"It seems that they've dug in on this one," O'Neil said of voters. "People have had time to think about it, they've had time to digest it, they've gotten the (campaign) messages they're going to get and the campaigns have made their best shots with advertising messages.

"This suggests to me a strong probability that people have tended to make up their minds on this," he added. "For the 8 percent who say they don’t know — a lot of those won’t vote and a lot of them that do may pass on this question."

Prop. 205 asks Arizona voters to legalize cannabis for recreational use and establish licensed outlets where sales of the drug would be taxed, similar to the system in Colorado. Marijuana is still illegal under federal law, but the Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act would allow people 21 and older in Arizona to possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana and grow it in their homes.

Violations of Prop. 205 — such as using marijuana in public — would be a petty offense. [That's misleading. Possession of 2.5 ounces of marijuana is a felony. Possession of over 5 grams of concentrated marijuana is a felony. Growing 7 plants for a single person is a felony and growing 13 plants for a household is a felony] If Prop. 205 passes, adults could legally start possessing marijuana as soon as election results become official. Sales could start on March 1, 2018.

The poll found that young Arizonans overwhelmingly support marijuana legalization, a trend that is in line with national polls that have found millennials support legalization at higher rates than their parents and grandparents.

About 69 percent of voters aged 18 to 35 favor legalization. Among voters aged 36 to 50, nearly 60 percent support it. And among those aged 51 and older, the percentage of voters supporting it drops to 40.

Barrett Marson, spokesman for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, said the survey shows "marijuana prohibition has been a failure and voters understand that they can end that failed policy by voting yes on Prop. 205."

Legal pot could upend years of drug smuggling Adam Deguire, campaign manager for the No on Prop. 205 campaign, said multiple polls have indicated the race is close. He accused the pro-campaign of trying to manipulate voters with misleading information about the benefits of legalization. On Nov. 8, he predicted, voters will reject the measure.

"We are confident that when presented with Colorado’s story, one of disastrous unintended consequences, that Arizona voters will choose to buck the marijuana special interests who wrote Prop. 205 with only themselves in mind," Deguire said.

The Marijuana Policy Project, a national group that has helped lead efforts elsewhere to legalize marijuana for recreational and medical use, is a primary funder on the pro-side, along with various medical-marijuana dispensaries. The anti-campaign is largely funded by business groups and leaders who think legalization could hurt the business climate and worker productivity.

John Fulton, a Tucson Republican, doesn't yet know how he will vote on the measure. On the one hand, he doesn't think cannabis users should be punished for using the drug responsibly. On the other hand, he worries legalization could lead to outdoor smoking and abuses of the law.

While the measure doesn't allow for public use, he has seen pictures from Colorado and Washington of people smoking outdoors.

"I see a lot of people acting immature going out and having these big smoke parties," said Fulton. "My attitude about this is that people should not be thrown in jail for smoking marijuana in their house. In somebody's home, adults should be able to do what they want to do. If they want to have a drink, that’s fine, and if they want to have marijuana, that’s fine."

Prop. 205 requires revenues collected from sales of the drug to fund first a new Department of Marijuana Licenses and Control, which would regulate the program. Then, additional revenue would pay for school construction, maintenance and operating costs, full-day kindergarten programs, and substance-abuse programs.

Maricopa retired attorney Mike Galbreath, 76 and a registered independent, said he is mistrustful of how government officials would spend tax revenues generated from sales, and so isn't sure how he will vote on Election Day.

"They'll create an agency like they usually do, and it'll be a big boondoggle that just wastes money," he said.

Here's what you need to know about voting in the November election in Arizona.

Follow the reporter on Twitter and Facebook. Reach her at yvonne.wingett@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-444-4712.