Pubdate: Thu, 13 Jun 2013
Source: Kingman Daily Miner (AZ)
Copyright: 2013 Kingman Daily Miner
Contact:  http://www.kingmandailyminer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3469
Author: Suzanne Adams-Ockrassa

LEGAL MARIJUANA COULD COME TO ARIZONA

KINGMAN - Arizona could become one of the next states to legalize 
marijuana, if voters approve.

An organization called Safer Arizona filed paperwork with the Arizona 
Secretary of State's Office Tuesday to start collecting signatures to 
put the issue on the 2014 ballot.

The initiative would amend the state constitution to make it legal 
for anyone over the voting age to possess and use marijuana. It also 
sets up rules for the growth, manufacturing, sale and taxing of 
marijuana and marijuana products to the public for non-medical use.

It was the thought of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren 
getting arrested and having a felony record for a drug that he feels 
shouldn't be classified as a schedule one substance that drove Dennis 
Bohlke, Safer Arizona's treasurer, to get the ball rolling on the initiative.

"How devastating is that to have on your record or have to serve time 
in prison for?" he asked. "To me there was just no other way to get 
this issue solved (other than legalizing it.) I wanted to light a 
fire under the Legislature."

Shortly after Bohlke started researching the issue, Colorado and 
Washington state passed laws that legalized the drug by the general public.

"I saw the Colorado initiative get passed and thought I would use 
that as a template," said Bohlke. "I followed Colorado's tax 
structure (for legalized marijuana) and then went around to the 
different groups in Arizona, including the medical marijuana patients 
and legislators, and asked them what changes they would want to see 
in the law. I tried to create a well thought-out plan."

According to Safer Arizona's initiative, marijuana use would be 
governed by the same rules that alcohol is in the state, with a few exceptions.

* Residents who are older than the state's voting age, which is 
currently 18, would legally be able to purchase and possess up to 2.5 
ounces of the drug. Customers would have to show their state ID as 
proof that they are old enough to purchase marijuana.

* Marijuana stores would be prohibited from copying and keeping any 
personal information about their customers.

* Residents would also be able to grow up to 12 plants in a locked 
facility or fenced back yard.

* Penalties for driving under the influence of marijuana would be the 
same as those for driving under the influence of alcohol. However, 
law enforcement would have to back up any sobriety tests they have 
showing marijuana in a defendant's system with a video recording of 
their encounter.

* The state would not be able to remove children from a home because 
of a parent's use of marijuana.

* The state would not be able to confiscate a person's guns or 
weapons because they use marijuana.

* The state would not be able to cut off state services to someone 
who uses marijuana.

* Employers, schools and medical facilities are not required to 
accommodate the use, sale or possession of marijuana at their locations.

* Using marijuana in public would be governed under the same laws as 
drinking in public.

* Marijuana shops and grow facilities would pay a 15 percent tax to 
the state. Half of that money would go to the Arizona Department of 
Health Services.

* Customers would be charged sales tax.

Mohave County Sheriff Tom Sheahan said he hasn't read the entire 
initiative, but he's not surprised that it exists.

"We knew this was coming. Medical marijuana was nothing more than an 
opening for this," he said. "I think this would be a disaster."

His department has found that most of the medical marijuana patients 
are younger and taking the drug for "chronic pain," Sheahan said. 
"They're not using it for glaucoma or any of the other things they 
said it would be used for. Arizona's Medical Marijuana Act was 
nothing more than a sales job."

"I would be surprised if this has a chance of passing," he said. But 
if it does, Sheahan said he will enforce it, whether he likes it or not.

If passed, the initiative would not affect Arizona's Medical 
Marijuana Act, Bohlke said. Medical marijuana patients and 
dispensaries would not be taxed and would not lose any of the rights 
they have under the MMA.

If passed, the Arizona Department of Health Services would have until 
July 2015 to come up with regulations and applications for the 
licensing of retail marijuana stores. Licensing fees would be limited 
to $1,000.

Local governments would have until October 2015 to come up with new 
zoning and licensing regulations for marijuana stores.

Once the state or a local government receives an application for a 
marijuana store, it has 90 days to issue the license or explain in 
writing why the person is not in compliance with local regulations.

In order to get the initiative on the ballot, Bohlke will have to 
gather more than 259,000 valid signatures from around the state. He 
said he's received a lot of encouragement from people, including 
those who run medical marijuana dispensaries, but the dispensaries 
are not financially backing his efforts.

"I'm not in the business. I'm an engineer. I work on computers. This 
is truly a grassroots effort. It's a shoestring operation. I can't 
guarantee success," he said. "I will say the odds are against me, but 
750,000 to a million residents in Arizona say they've used marijuana. 
Let's see what happens."

People looking for petitions to sign or circulate should contact 
Safer Arizona through Facebook or by visiting www.saferarizona.com .
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom