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Arizona to vote on marijuana legalization in November

Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, The Republic | azcentral.com 4:41 p.m. MST August 10, 2016

Arizona voters get to decide if marijuana should be legal for recreational use when they head to the polls in November.

State officials notified the campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol that it submitted enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot. The secretary of state is expected to certify the petition Thursday, according to spokesman Matt Roberts.

The initiative will appear on the ballot as Proposition 205.

But the campaign faces another hurdle: Marijuana-legalization foes are asking a Maricopa County Superior Court judge to toss the initiative from the ballot. In a lawsuit, opponents argue marijuana-legalization backers are deceiving voters in how they are pitching the measure. The lawsuit, brought by 13 individuals and groups, is scheduled for hearings on Friday.

Proposition 205 asks Arizona voters to legalize cannabis for recreational use and establish licensed shops where sales of the drug would be taxed, similar to the system established in Colorado. Among other things, the Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act would allow adults 21 and older to possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants in their homes.

Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy, which brought the lawsuit against the measure, have said potential revenues from legalization do not outweigh the potential costs of "bad public policy," which would affect public health, public safety, the workplace and education.

The pro campaign is holding a news conference at 10 a.m. Thursday to kick off the "Yes on 205" campaign "and highlight the benefits of replacing marijuana prohibition with a regulated system."

“Eighty-three years ago, Arizona voters approved a ballot measure to repeal the failed policy of alcohol prohibition,” said J.P. Holyoak, chairman of the Yes on 205 campaign said in a statement. “This November, we will have the opportunity to end the equally disastrous policy of marijuana prohibition. Prop 205 would establish a more sensible system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed similarly to alcohol.”

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

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Here are some reasons for people who WANT to legalize marijuana to vote against the phoney baloney initiative that claims to legalize marijuana.

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As of Thursday, August 11, 2016 Proposition 205 or Prop 205 will be the official name given to the MPP or Marijuana Policy Project initiative to legalize marijuana.

I'm 100% for legalizing not only marijuana, but all drugs.

But I'm against Prop 205, which is the phoney baloney MPP or Marijuana Policy Project initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in Arizona because it's 99% about creating a monopoly on growing and selling recreational marijuana for the existing 85 medical marijuana dispensaries, by giving them a monopoly on recreational marijuana.

Yea, those are the same 85 or so medical marijuana dispensaries that financed the initiative with about $2.5 million dollars of their money.

Prop 205 or Proposition 205 is called the "Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol" or "CRMLA".

Prop 205 still allows people to be charged with felonies for numerous victimless marijuana crimes.

Prop 205 creates a new "marijuana police force" to arrest people for victimless marijuana crimes. And the folks at MPP want us to think they are "legalizing marijuana". What rubbish!!!

Under Prop 205 it is still a felony to possess more then 2.5 ounces of marijuana. It will be a misdemeanor to possess over 1 ounce of marijuana but less then 2.5 ounces.

It is still a felony under Prop 205 to possess more then 5 grams or a fifth of an ounce of concentrated marijuana.

Under Prop 205 it is still a felony to grow 7 marijuana plants for a single person.

It is still a felony under Prop 205 to grow 13 marijuana plants for a household.

Under Prop 205 city and county governments are allowed to ban growing of marijuana. And if city and county governments treat recreational marijuana with the same "Reefer Madness" attitude they have treated medical marijuana you can expect it to be illegal in most cities and counties in Arizona to grow recreational marijuana.

Marijuana lawyer Tom Dean says he thinks it should be a misdemeanor to illegally grow marijuana plants if they are banned. But I think he has also said that prosecutors may try to charge people will felonies for violating the ban.

Under Proposition 205 it's a felony to sell that unused marijuana you paid $300 an ounce for to a friend.

Proposition 205 slaps an outrageous 15% tax on marijuana sales. That is in addition to the current 8% or more sales tax you will pay on marijuana purchases. Remember the Boston Tea Party was over a lousy 1.75% tax on tea. [I have also seen a 3% figure for the Boston Tea Party tax]. Marijuana users will be paying around a 23% tax on marijuana when you combine the 15% marijuana tax, and the current sales tax of 8%.

If recreational marijuana sells for around $300 an ounce like medical marijuana does, you will be paying a tax of $70 for each ounce of marijuana you buy, bringing the total cost of an ounce of marijuana to around $370 an ounce.

Remember illegal black market marijuana sells for around around $50 to $100 an ounce. If legal recreational marijuana sells for $370 an ounce after taxes, the law will not end the crime associated with black market marijuana. In fact the law will allow illegal black market marijuana sellers to raise their prices, because legal marijuana will cost around 4 to 8 times what illegal black market marijuana costs.

Proposition 205 creates a new government bureaucracy to regulate marijuana, which is the "Department of Marijuana Licenses and Control". We don't need more government bureaucrats in Arizona.

Proposition 205 allows the owners of medical marijuana dispensaries to modify Prop 203 or Arizona's Medical Marijuana Act. Half of the members of the board will be owners of medical marijuana dispensaries, and half will be appointed government bureaucrats. Many people suspect that Prop 203 will be gutted to increase profits for the dispensaries. Like it is now being done in Washington and other states that have passed similar MPP laws.

The number of recreational marijuana stores in Arizona will be limited to a maximum of 160. That's one store for almost every 40,000 Arizona residents. That number is based on 10 percent of the series 9 liquor licenses. BUT the department doesn't have to issue all 160 licenses. They only have to give the existing 85 or so stores with medical marijuana licenses a recreational marijuana license. And I expect that is what will happen. If that is true there will be one marijuana store for every 80,000 Arizona residents.

Proposition 205 allows "Department of Marijuana Licenses and Control" to control "head shops" or "smoke shop", which means all the current "head shops" or "smoke shops" probably will be made illegal, and only the 85 or so stores which will be given a monopoly on selling recreational marijuana will be allowed to sell marijuana smoking accessories. If you own a "head shop" or "smoke shop" Prop 205 could drive you out of business.

Proposition 205 does NOT give automatic pardons to anyone convicted in the past of marijuana crimes, which would be legal under the law.

If you want to legalize marijuana the right way, sign the Safer Arizona 2018 petition to legalize marijuana when it comes out on November 9, 2016 and vote for it in the 2018 election.

And please vote no on the phoney baloney MPP initiative and tell these corporate whores they are not welcome in Arizona and send them back to Washington D.C. where they belong with all the other government crooks.