Homeless in Arizona

Source

This is why are elected officials in Arizona will NEVER vote to legalize marijuana.

Marijuana is a $56 million cash cow for the Arizona government and special interest groups that are sucking the government tit.

16,000 plus people get arrested each year for marijuana possession [in Arizona].

Each of those arrested face fines and fees of about $3,500 ... This amounts to a 56 million dollar shakedown of the citizens of Arizona.

Maybe 10 to 15 years ago Arizona voters passed a law which stops sending 1st time drug offenders to prison.

I believe that law instead forces these 1st time drug offenders to attend classes which tell them drugs are bad, bad, bad.

I believe a good chunk of that $3,500 goes to the private businesses that put on those silly classes.

As a condition of probation, the offender must attend a drug treatment or [drug] education program.

A probation department or prosecutor is allowed under Proposition 302 to petition the court to revoke an offender's probation if the offender fails or refuses to participate in drug treatment while on probation. If the court revokes probation, the offender would be sentenced under Arizona's drug laws.

Possession for personal use of less than 2 pounds of marijuana is a Class 6 felony, punishable by a minimum sentence of 4 months, a maximum sentence of 2 years, and a minimum fine of $1000 or a fine to exhaust the proceeds of the drug offense. [That sounds like it means the state of Arizona is going to shake you down for every penny in your wallet and bank account at the time of the marijuana arrest]