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 Unfortunately, this provision never took effect because the Legislature repealed that section of the law immediately after the election.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. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth