Arizona Recreational Marijuana Initiative Hits 125K Signatures

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Arizona (CRMLA) has amassed 125,000 signatures and is well on its way to qualifying for a spot on Arizona’s November 2016 ballot.

The campaign needs 150,642 valid signatures from registered Arizona voters by July 2016. But the campaign is taking precaution and attempting to reach a goal of 230,000 signatures.

“This is going even more quickly than we thought it would go,” said Carlos Alfaro, deputy campaign manager. “We’re looking forward to getting the signature process finished and get the campaign out there.”

In summary, the CRMLA’s initiative, the Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act would:

– allow adults 21 or older to possess and privately consume and grow limited amounts of marijuana (it will remain illegal to consume marijuana in public)
– establish a Department of Marijuana Licenses and Control to regulate the cultivation, manufacturing, testing, transportation, and sale of marijuana
– create a system in which licensed businesses (i.e., dispensaries) can cultivate and sell marijuana to adults
– provide local governments with the authority to regulate and prohibit marijuana businesses
– establish a 15% tax on adult marijuana sales in addition to standard sales taxes.

Tax revenue from the recreational marijuana industry would be used to fund the implementation and enforcement of regulations as well as be allocated to the Department of Education for construction, maintenance, operating costs, and full-day kindergarten programs, and to the Department of Health Services for public health efforts.

A recent poll found that 53% of Arizonans support legalization.