AZ Marijuana Arizona Marijuana Info
A marijuana advocacy group attempting to make marijuana legal for adults in Arizona in 2016 has filed the necessary paperwork with state elections officials granting them permission to raise money to campaign for the initiative.
The Marijuana Policy Project of Arizona initiative will be based off of Colorado’s voter-approved recreational marijuana program that taxes and regulates marijuana for adults 21 years of age and older.
Andrew Myers, who is helping with the initiative, said the group will form a “diverse coalition” to assist with drafting the initiative’s language. He also stated that marijuana advocates are closely watching Colorado’s recreational marijuana program to determine what should and shouldn’t be replicated in Arizona. Colorado’s marijuana program allows a limited number of medical and recreational marijuana dispensaries to operate and has heavy oversight to regulate the industry.
The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), which advocates to legalize and regulate marijuana, said it will pursue legalizing marijuana in Arizona in 2016 because such initiatives are more successful during presidential elections, which is when more voters visit the polls.
Over 50,000 Arizonans already have medical marijuana cards which allow them to legally purchase and use medical marijuana. Many more people are expected to become cardholders as more dispensaries open every month making access to medicine much more convenient.
As seen in Colorado and Washington, the legalization of marijuana can generate new marijuana jobs, tax revenue for public programs, social and health benefits, and more.
