Pubdate: Wed, 30 Oct 2002
Source: Arizona Republic (AZ)
Copyright: 2002 The Arizona Republic
Contact:  http://www.arizonarepublic.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/24
Author: John Sperling
Note: John Sperling is founder of the University of Phoenix

WHEN WILL THE VOTERS FINALLY BE HEARD?

In 1996, 65 percent of Arizona voters voted for Proposition 200, which 
reduced drug abuse by treating drug users rather than incarcerating them in 
drug-infested jails and prisons.

As a result, two-thirds of drug users are successfully completing 
treatment, at an annual savings of $5 million in state and local expenditures.

In addition, there has been a sharp decline in the crimes users commit in 
order to get the money needed to support their habit. The Arizona Supreme 
Court in its official evaluation said that the treatment programs are 
resulting in "safer communities."

Proposition 200 was supported by many conservative Republicans, including 
the late Barry Goldwater, former Reagan official John Norton and Dr. 
Jeffrey Singer, a benefactor to the Cato Institute. The idea was to provide 
an alternative to our failed War on Drugs, a strategy of curtailing drug 
abuse. Former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods, our chief law 
enforcement officer for eight years, is actively endorsing the new measure 
as well.

Proposition 200 also allowed doctors to prescribe marijuana for patients 
suffering from acute pain, uncontrolled vomiting, and wasting disease. 
Unfortunately, this provision never took effect because the Legislature 
repealed that section of the law immediately after the election.

In 1998, the voters reinstated the medical marijuana provision but this 
time it was made a dead letter because federal authorities threatened to 
take away the license of any physician who dared to prescribe marijuana to 
a patient.

Proposition 203 will finally achieve what Arizona voters approved in 1996 
and 1998. The medical marijuana under the terms of Proposition 203 will 
come from marijuana seized by law enforcement agencies, so there will be no 
need to violate federal laws triggered by the interstate commerce clause of 
the U.S. Constitution.

The program will be administered by the Department of Public Safety thereby 
insuring that marijuana will be used only by patients with a doctor's 
recommendation.

As a consequence, there will be no basis for either the Arizona Legislature 
or any federal agency to block the provisions of 203 from implementation.

In the 1980s, Arizona had a research project involving medical marijuana 
patients that was supervised by the Department of Public Safety. In this 
case, there was no federal pre-emption and no abuse, since the DPS oversaw 
the program.

Some of the other provisions of Proposition 203 include prohibiting 
incarceration for marijuana users, mandating that violent drug offenders 
serve 50 percent longer sentences, expanding drug treatment and directing 
drug fines into drug prevention programs for our youth. All of these build 
on our success from 1996 in offering an alternative to the War on Drugs.

The claims made by the Maricopa county attorney, the nation's drug czar and 
political opponents that Proposition 203 is part of a strategy to legalize 
drugs are simply untrue - the same lies they told in 1996 and 1998.

These opponents have twice demonstrated they don't care about the will of 
the voters and they twice blocked medical marijuana.

Don't let them succeed a third time. Show them who is in charge. Vote "yes" 
on Proposition 203.
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MAP posted-by: Beth