Holyoke has a number of old mill buildings that Mayor Alex B. Morse believes would make an excellent location for the industry. HOLYOKE - Vacant mill buildings along a series of canals serve as constant reminders of this impoverished city's halcyon days as the Paper City of the World. But the mayor has a distinctly 21st-century plan for the old factories. Alex B. Morse imagines marijuana growing in them. Morse, the 27-year-old wunderkind who has been in office for more than five years , believes his hometown is on the upswing, with the lowest rates of crime and unemployment in many years. But the city, with a poverty rate almost three times the state average, requires an infusion of industry. And the state's nascent recreational marijuana business, he says, would be a perfect fit. [continues 1136 words]
Marijuana's health effects A new report says the precise health effects of marijuana on its users remain something of a mystery. (Jan. 13, 2017) More than 22 million Americans use some form of marijuana each month, and it's now approved for medicinal or recreational use in 28 states plus the District of Columbia. Nationwide, legal sales of the drug reached an estimated $7.1 billion last year. Yet for all its ubiquity, a comprehensive new report says the precise health effects of marijuana on those who use it remain something of a mystery -- and the federal government continues to erect major barriers to research that would provide much-needed answers. [continues 1147 words]
Researchers combed through more than 10,000 scientific studies to examine the various health effects of marijuana use. More than 22 million Americans use some form of marijuana each month, and it's now approved for medicinal or recreational use in 28 states plus the District of Columbia. Nationwide, legal sales of the drug reached an estimated $7.1 billion last year. Yet for all its ubiquity, a comprehensive new report says the precise health effects of marijuana on those who use it remain something of a mystery -- and the federal government continues to erect major barriers to research that would provide much-needed answers. [continues 1123 words]
Backers of marijuana legalization on Monday stepped up their pressure on the U.S. Senate to block the confirmation of Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions as the next attorney general. Sessions, a staunch opponent of legalization, angered proponents in April when he called pot "dangerous" and said that "good people don't smoke marijuana." Marijuana backers want the issue aired Tuesday when the Senate Judiciary Committee begins Sessions' confirmation hearing. "It's a national thing: This hearing is make or break for the marijuana folks," said Adam Eidinger, who heads a pro-legalization group in Washington, D.C., called DCMJ. [continues 796 words]
Giving away -- or "gifting"-- up to one ounce of marijuana is now legal in Massachusetts, but are some people pushing the new law too far? Days after Governor Charlie Baker signed a measure delaying the opening of recreational marijuana retail shops statewide by six months, a budding entrepreneur took to Craigslist to offer people a backdoor approach to getting their hands on some pot - one that authorities say would violate the new law. In an ad posted to the website titled "Bud, weed, marijuana, cannabis," a person who identified himself as "Corey" listed for sale empty plastic bags ranging in price from $20 to $325. Depending on which bag is purchased, the seller promised to include a "gift" of marijuana inside. [continues 416 words]
Senator Elizabeth Warren is leading a new effort to make sure vendors working with marijuana businesses don't have their banking services taken away. As marijuana shops sprout in states that have legalized the drug, they face a critical stumbling block: lack of access to the kind of routine banking services other businesses take for granted. US Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, is leading an effort to make sure vendors working with legal marijuana businesses, from chemists who test marijuana for harmful substances to firms that provide security, don't have their banking services taken away. [continues 568 words]
Huron could be the second city in Fresno County to allow medical marijuana cultivation, manufacture and distribution, city documents show. Meanwhile, growers already are lining up to court neighboring Coalinga, which approved medical cannabis in July. But other cities in conservative Fresno County, which has opposed all marijuana use for decades, remain in opposition to medical cannabis. Some have even passed resolutions formally opposing California Proposition 64, the state initiative in the upcoming election that would legalize adult recreational marijuana use. The initiative is likely to pass, but most of the county appears ready to forgo millions in potential marijuana revenue due to public safety concerns. [continues 693 words]
Action by the governor and legislature doesn't change a new law that allows adults 21 and older to possess and use limited amounts of recreational marijuana and grow as many as a dozen pot plants in their homes, but it pushes back the timetable for opening retail marijuana stores from the beginning of 2018 until the middle of that year. BOSTON (AP) - Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed a bill Friday aimed at delaying by up to six months the opening of marijuana shops in the state until mid-2018. [continues 476 words]
In November, Massachusetts voters decided to make recreational marijuana legal, allowing it to be bought and sold in stores by January 2018. But this week, state lawmakers quietly voted to delay the sale date by at least six months. The delay has outraged some marijuana-legalization advocates, less so because they'll have to wait a few months to buy pot and more so because they feel the legislature is trying to subvert the will of the people by fundamentally changing what they voted for. A similar skirmish is happening in Maine over the minimum wage, and progressives in both states are worried that their opponents are trying to delay or even reverse their remarkable success via ballot initiatives. [continues 581 words]
[photo] Gelato marijuana is for sale at Bud and Bloom, a dispensary in Santa Ana that got a $2 million loan this year from AP Investment Fund, a private lender that works with marijuana businesses. Allen J. Schaben Los Angeles Times Asked whether marijuana should be legal for adults in California, voters answered with a resounding "yes" in November. But that doesn't mean the matter is completely settled. And it definitely doesn't mean voters support marijuana use by minors. [continues 545 words]
On Nov. 8, 2016 voters in California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada approved ballot measures to legalize recreational cannabis. It is now legal in a total of eight states. And this creates potential problems for road safety. How do we determine who's impaired and who's not? The effects of alcohol vary based on a person's size and weight, metabolism rate, related food intake and the type and amount of beverage consumed. Even so, alcohol consumption produces fairly straightforward results: The more you drink, the worse you drive. Factors like body size and drinking experience can shift the correlation slightly, but the relationship is still pretty linear, enough to be able to confidently develop a blood alcohol content scale for legally determining drunk driving. Not so with marijuana. [continues 833 words]
Marijuana grows in an illegal Southern Utah cultivation in this file photo (Photo: The Spectrum & Daily News file photo) On Sunday, the recreational use of marijuana will become legal in Nevada following passage of the state's "Question 2" during this year's elections. The law will allow adults 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of cannabis or one-eighth ounce of cannabis concentrate with the start of the new year, but the need for Nevada to establish a licensing and taxation infrastructure means it will be a while yet before individuals can actually buy pot if they don't already have a medical marijuana prescription card. [continues 1427 words]
Californians may have voted overwhelmingly on Nov. 8 to legalize marijuana, but Americans also elected Donald Trump, whose position on legalization has been a bit -- hazy. That's a potential problem because marijuana is regulated under federal law, giving Trump and his administration veto power over whether California and the seven other states that have voted to legalize cannabis can really do so. So where does the president-elect stand on pot? He has said he supports individuals' right to use medical marijuana "100%," which is good news for the 29 states that allow medicinal use of pot. As for adult recreational use, which Californians approved through Proposition 64, it's hard to say what he believes because his statements have been all over the map, shifting from audience to audience. [continues 667 words]
A man showed the marijuana he was selling on Boston Common earlier this month. It took less than an hour and about a half-dozen state legislators to undo the will of 1.8 million voters expressed just last month. The House and Senate passed a bill on Wednesday delaying the opening date for recreational marijuana stores in Massachusetts by half a year - from January to summer 2018. The extraordinary move would unravel a significant part of the marijuana law. About 1.5 million people voted against legalization on Nov. 8. [continues 726 words]
BOSTON -- The process for licensing retail marijuana shops would be delayed by six months under legislation that surfaced Wednesday in the Senate before clearing both branches, the result of which could push the legal sale of marijuana, authorized by a successful ballot campaign this year, well into 2018. The House and Senate on Wednesday morning during lightly attended informal sessions passed a bill (S 2524) amended by Sen. Jason Lewis, D-Winchester, pushing out the effective dates of several key milestones in the new law, including the dates by which the state will begin accepting applications and issuing licenses for retail pot shop licenses. The state, under the bill, would have until July 2018 to issue the first licenses for retail pot sales. [continues 591 words]
Andrew Freedman is Colorado's director of marijuana coordination. DENVER - Marijuana legalization brought unexpected challenges to Colorado, and it was rarely clear what part of state government was supposed to solve them, or how. Businesses were selling marijuana-infused, animal-shaped candy attractive to children. Residents growing pot at home were selling it illegally in other states. Growers were applying pesticides to cannabis plants even though none was specifically approved by the federal government for such use. Enter Andrew Freedman, Colorado's pot czar, who is bringing together the state's bureaucracy, marijuana industry, law enforcement community, and public health advocates to fix problems no other state had faced. [continues 1132 words]
City Hall, cops, pols spearhead informational campaign Cops, City Hall and lawmakers are bracing for Thursday's onset of legalized "recreational" marijuana in Massachusetts, determined that if they can't dissuade tokers from lighting up they can at least provide information plus some vigilant law enforcement to try to keep people safe. Bay Staters voted last month to permit adults 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of weed while out in public - 10 ounces at home - while cultivating up to 12 plants per household. Selling pot remains illegal while the Legislature works on regulations to license retailers. [continues 392 words]
The debate over whether Georgia will become a safer space for marijuana, in medicinal or any other form, is poised to pick up speed next year. But only if the incoming Donald Trump administration doesn't shut it down. And with the nomination of U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama as the nation's next U.S. attorney general, that has become a distinct possibility. On the same November day that voters handed the New York businessman the keys to the White House, four states - California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada - approved the adult use of marijuana for recreational purposes. Three more - Arkansas, Florida, and North Dakota - passed ballot initiatives that legalized the use of marijuana derivatives for medicinal purposes. [end]
Roll Out New attorney general could mean "no more smoke" Sessions While many are still reeling from election night's results, some of that dizzying effect may owe itself to new marijuana laws in eight states. Only one state didn't pass its marijuana ballot measure, and we all already know who it is. Prop 205 failed by a relatively narrow margin-2.65 percent or 67,021 votes-compared to Clinton's 3.57 percent gap in Arizona. More than 125,000 voters cast their ballot for the presidency, but not for Prop 205. [continues 497 words]
Early this year, a disabled former automobile body worker named Greg Vialpando explained to lawmakers in New Mexico how medical marijuana helped his chronic back pain. State legislators were considering a bill backed by workers' compensation insurers that would have exempted them from paying for medical marijuana. But Mr. Vialpando and another patient described how smoking the drug let them escape years of stupor caused by powerful prescription narcotic drugs known as opioids. The lawmakers ended up dropping the bill, and Mr. Vialpando's expenses for buying marijuana are covered by insurance. [continues 932 words]
SANTA ROSA, Calif. - California's multibillion-dollar marijuana industry, by far the nation's largest, is crawling out from the underbrush after voters opted to legalize cannabis in this month's election. In Sonoma County alone, an estimated 9,000 marijuana cultivation businesses are operating in a provisional gray market, with few specific regulations, and are now looking to follow the path of the wine industry, which emerged from its own prohibition eight decades ago and rose to the global prominence it enjoys today. [continues 1362 words]
A leader of the group opposed to marijuana legalization said Monday that it will request a recount of votes on the statewide ballot question that passed by a narrow margin last week. Such a recount, involving more than 757,000 ballots, could take a month to conduct and cost the state $500,000, the Secretary of State's Office said Monday. Mainers Protecting Our Youth and Communities, which opposed Question 1 on the Nov. 8 ballot, is circulating petitions to collect the 100 signatures needed to request a recount. Scott Gagnon, campaign manager for the group, said the petitions will be turned in to the Secretary of State's Office before the deadline at 5 p.m. Wednesday. [end]
In Denver it's now easier to get high in public than to smoke cigarettes. Denver voters last week passed a first-of-its-kind referendum allowing consumption of pot in public settings, though the new law has so many caveats and complexities that hipsters may have to hire a fleet of consultants. Cannabis liberationists: meet the regulatory state. In 2012 Colorado voters approved a ballot measure legalizing marijuana statewide in part on the premise that it would reduce law enforcement costs and minority arrests. Neither turned out to be true since so many people were caught illegally using pot in public. Thus the good progressives in the Mile High City crafted a local initiative providing more freedom to consume weed outside of one's home. [continues 295 words]
FARGO, N.D. (AP) - A group pushing to legalize medical marijuana in North Dakota is making a last-minute advertising push thanks to a surprise donation from a national organization, North Dakota Compassionate Care, which is sponsoring an initiated measure on the state's ballot, quickly organized the ad campaign after receiving $15,000 last week from Drug Policy Action, said group spokeswoman Anita Morgan. DPA is the political arm of a group that advocates for the overhaul of drug laws. [continues 282 words]
We disagree with your recent editorial supporting Question 1. I am currently president of the Maine Medical Association, consisting of over 4,000 Maine physicians and physicians-in-training. In furtherance of our mission to protect public health, we urge voters to oppose Question 1. Surveys of our member physicians show most oppose the ballot question, which would allow unrestricted recreational use of marijuana. The MMA's position mirrors those of the Maine Hospital Association, the Maine Public Health Association and the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. [continues 213 words]
Candidate opinions on legalized marijuana appear to have less to do with party affiliation and more to do with perceptions on whether Proposition 205 is a solution to a problem, or a serious threat to Arizona. The citizens initiative is on the Nov. 8 ballot asking voters whether to allow the recreational use of marijuana. Arizona is one of nine states that will vote on the issue in the General Election. Though many prominent Republicans have come out against Prop. 205, there are notable exceptions. Gov. Doug Ducey and other state GOP leaders, including LD14 State Sen. Gail Griffin, are on record opposed to the initiative, while locally, Republican Cochise County Supervisor Pat Call has said it may be time to reallocate the resources committed to the "War on Drugs." [continues 629 words]
A ballot measure that would legalize recreational use of marijuana in Arizona is receiving mixed reviews among Santa Cruz County residents. Known as Proposition 205, the initiative would make it legal for people 21 and older to use and possess up to an ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants in their homes. The proposed plan would also establish a state regulatory department and would levy a 15 percent tax on sales of the drug. But with the general election just a week away, there is still a split between supporters and opponents and many county voters are still on the fence about making pot legal in Arizona. [continues 786 words]
Next week, Nevada will have the chance to join four other states to allow legalized recreational marijuana for adults. Ballot Question 2 would not only allow Nevadans age 21 and older to have easier access to pot, it could provide more than $1.1 billion in tax revenue and economic activity over the course of the proposed law's initial eight years, according to a study by Las Vegas-based RCG Economics. Armen Yemenidjian, president and CEO of the three Essence Cannabis Dispensaries in the Las Vegas Valley, is ready for the change. [continues 1194 words]
Discussions of legalizing the use of marijuana often revolve around the contention that pot functions as a "gateway drug" - a substance that can lead individuals to abuse "harder" substances like cocaine or heroin. That assertion, which has been raised in connection with Nevada's Question 2 on the Nov. 8 ballot, has some support in the scientific community, but experts say a lack of definitive research on the subject leaves plenty of room for argument. "There's not enough evidence to prove (it) one way or another," said Nathan Gillespie, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Virginia Commonwealth University who has done research on drug use and genetics. [continues 703 words]
Last week, Northern Arizona Healthcare employees received an email from their top boss, NAH President and CEO Robert Thames. In it, Thames waded into one of the more contentious issues on Arizona's ballot this election: the legalization of recreational marijuana. The email, which opened with the subject line "ONE NAH, One Obligation to Health," addressed Proposition 205, which would legalize recreational marijuana in Arizona and create a system to regulate and tax the drug. In his message, Thames emphasized the significance of the ballot measure to NAH employees as healthcare providers. NAH is the parent organization for Flagstaff Medical Center, Sedona Medical Center and Verde Valley Medical Center. [continues 639 words]
Residents in Nevada and four other states - California, Massachusetts, Maine and Arizona - will learn sometime Tuesday night whether voters have approved ballot measures to legalize marijuana. And as multiple recent reports have noted, states that take this leap will almost assuredly experience unintended trickle-down consequences, particularly for young people. For instance, David Kroll, writing for Forbes.com on California's Proposition 64, reported this past week on the work of Michael Taffe, a drug abuse researcher at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif. In an informative Facebook post addressing many of his concerns with Prop 64 and similar initiatives in other states, Dr. Taffe notes that 5 to 6 percent of high school seniors in America already use marijuana daily. Further, Dr. Taffe points out that marijuana has a conditional probability of dependence - an addiction rate - of 9 percent, more than twice that of alcohol, which is at 4 percent. Dr. Taffe also rightly notes that the scope of the addiction depends on how many people are using it - a number certain to increase with marijuana legalization. [end]
Re: the Nov. 2 story "Steller wrong about propositions" While I normally appreciate and enjoy Tim Steller's column on a routine basis I fully disagree with his logic regarding his choice to vote no on Prop 205. Steller's logic is that at some point the legalization of marijuana will become "commercially" more acceptable than what is currently proposed on this years ballot. His view is that once again Arizona voters will have legalization on a future ballot. While Stellar waits for a more commercially acceptable plan, money flows into the drug cartels coffers, veterans are denied relief from their PTSD, police resources are wasted, courts are clogged and Arizona schools are denied tax revenue they desperately need. A 'no' vote on Prop 205 retains the ridiculous status quo of criminalizing the activity of thousands of Arizonans in order to line the pockets of both the cartels and special interests such as big Pharma and for profit private prisons. Todd Smyth Vail [end]
When Tommy Chong served nine months in prison for selling bongs, prison executives used him and other famous prisoners as sightseeing stops on metaphorical map-of-the-stars tours for visiting dignitaries. Similarly, Charles Manson and Bernie Madoff were sightseeing stars in their prisons, said Chong, who will be in Vegas on Election Day to promote Nevada's legal marijuana Question 2. "People come to visit the prisons - people in the industry - and when I was in there, they'd trot me out. They'd come and visit their famous prisoners," Chong said. "They would give tours," he added. "If you're a celebrity, you get treated very well, because you're a draw." [end]
If the craziest and most contentious presidential election in modern history is making you feel somewhat lightheaded, a little disoriented, maybe even a tiny bit stoned, well, just you wait. Lost amid the endless (and sometimes endlessly entertaining) stream of insults, scandals, and outright atrocities of the 2016 campaign is the fact that it isn't just the leadership of the free world at stake on Nov 8. Voters in California, Massachusetts, Maine, Arizona, and Nevada will also decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana-and it looks like most will vote yes (although Nevada is still iffy). They'd be joining Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, which permit the recreational use and sale of marijuana. Washington, DC, allows recreational use but not retail sales. [continues 1510 words]
Former Fox 2 Detroit anchor Anqunette Jamison Sarfoh is throwing her support behind a movement to legalize all forms of marijuana for adults over 21 in Michigan. Sarfoh was previously on a leave of absence from Fox due to medical issues related to her multiple sclerosis condition and announced her decision to retire on Tuesday. Sarfoh will be introduced as a leading member of the grassroots organization MILegalize at a fundraiser Wednesday at Weber's Inn in Ann Arbor. "I loved my job, but multiple sclerosis was making it harder and harder to do it," she said in a video post on social media Tuesday morning. [continues 252 words]
I strong support the legalization of marijuana but I'm voting no on Prop 205. I'm not a prohibitionist. I think the reefer madness propaganda campaign against Prop 205 is ridiculous. I'm naturopathic physician that provides medical marijuana certifications. I believe in medical marijuana - like many I have seen the miracles of this plant. I believe in recreational marijuana too - just not this way. First, props to all the hard work done throughout the state in efforts to get legalizing marijuana on the ballot. There are many reasons why I'm voting no THIS time. (I'm intentionally avoiding the legal points because Im not a lawyer. But its important to remember that minor infractions can lead easily lead to felonies). I'll boil it down to a few points against 205 that aren't talked about [continues 673 words]
The legalization of retail marijuana stores two years ago has had profound impacts on the city and county of Pueblo. Some good. Some bad. Now, the time has come for Pueblo voters to decide whether the benefits outweigh the negatives. For months, The Pueblo Chieftain has been intensely studying this issue, both with special and ongoing news reporting, and also with private editorial board discussions with those for and against retail marijuana stores and grow operations. It is an understatement to say the issue is complicated. So bear with us as we try today to discuss the essential concerns. [continues 1593 words]
The last time Floridians faced the subject of medical marijuana on the ballot, the measure just barely failed to garner enough support needed to become law. This time appears to be different. There's still resistance, but the large wave of criticism from various groups like the Florida Sheriff's Association is gone. Polls indicate the ballot measure again named Amendment 2 appears to be coasting toward passage. The most recent survey released by the University of North Florida indicates 73 percent of voters approve of the amendment, significantly more than the 60 percent needed for it to become law. Backers of the Amendment say stripping away the so-called loopholes and timing is key. [continues 964 words]
Dear editor: With all of the political rhetoric in the spotlight during this election season, it is sometimes difficult to realize how blessed we are to be Arkansans and how important our choices are - not only in our selection of individuals we will choose to lead and represent us, but also in determining the ballot initiatives we choose to oppose or support. On Nov. 8, when you go vote, there will be issues on your ballot that change our Constitution or modify our laws. One of those, Issue 6, relates to legalizing marijuana. Issue 6 is being advertised and marketed to you as marijuana for medical use; however, this is a big lie. [continues 399 words]
THERE was an interesting story in the paper Sunday; actually several, as is the norm. (A salute to the desks that put together that biggest paper of the week.) This article, however, had to do with pot on the ballot. You've surely heard that Arkansas voters will see a couple of ballot questions having to do with medical marijuana next week. One of them might even have its votes counted. (The Supreme Court has ruled against the other, but your ballots have already been printed.) [continues 241 words]
Letter to the editor: Regarding USA TODAY's editorial "Marijuana on the ballot," no further studies are needed. The results are in. If the goal of marijuana prohibition is to deter use, prohibition is a failure. Few Americans had heard of marijuana, much less smoked it, until Congress made it illegal in 1937. Racial profiling was the clear intent of Reefer-madness-era legislation. The ugly legacy of racially disproportionate enforcement continues. This, despite mainstream use of marijuana, generated by the forbidden-fruit appeal. If the goal is to subsidize violent drug cartels, marijuana prohibition is a success. [continues 90 words]
I oppose Question 2, the measure on the ballot to approve recreational use and possession of certain amounts of marijuana. Historically, in response to criminal justice and health issues, Nevadans have given marijuana policy a thoughtful and careful examination. Policy makers have reduced penalties for possession of small quantities of the drug and built a framework for legal distribution of medical marijuana to patients who have a recommendation from a licensed physician. Now, Question 2 asks Nevadans to legalize marijuana for recreational use. We should vote no on Question 2 for many reasons. [end]
While USA TODAY's editorial "Marijuana on the ballot" was cautious and well-intentioned in nature, it misses several key issues about legalized marijuana. There are several factors I urge everyone to consider. As a father, I too share your concerns around children. However, I share far more serious concerns around the way we medicate our kids with pharmaceuticals, media, technology and the many distractions eroding our culture. The problem with more prohibition around this plant is the lack of education and conversation. In Colorado a dialogue has now been forced around marijuana because of its legality. The point is that as it pertains to kids, marijuana is something to talk about and as we say in our house, "Just not yet. This is for adults." [continues 224 words]
There's at least one issue on Arizona's General Election ballot that crosses political and partisan lines -public health. All Arizonans, regardless of our stance on just about any other issue, can agree public health and safety are paramount to our wellbeing, productivity and quality of life. That's why, as two of Arizona's leading health and healthcare organizations, we've come together to oppose Proposition 205, the initiative that would legalize marijuana for recreational use. For hospitals and health professionals across our state, the issue comes down to this: Our mission is to help patients and protect public health. Prop 205 does neither. [continues 391 words]
SAN FRANCISCO - To the red-and-blue map of American politics, it may be time to add green. The movement to legalize marijuana, the country's most popular illicit drug, will take a giant leap on Election Day if California and four other states vote to allow recreational cannabis, as polls suggest they may. The map of where pot is legal could include the entire West Coast and a block of states reaching from the Pacific to Colorado, raising a stronger challenge to the federal government's ban on the drug. [continues 1313 words]
As voters in five states consider ballot measures next month to legalize marijuana for recreational use, supporters and opponents can pluck a statistic to back just about anything they want to argue about the issue. But amid a gaggle of dueling studies, the truth is that the state experiments in legalizing recreational use are still too new to yield definitive results about the harms and benefits to society. In Colorado and Washington state, the first to legalize, retail stores did not open until 2014. As the Colorado Department of Public Safety asserted in its first post-legalization report this year: It is too early to draw any conclusions about the potential effects of marijuana legalization or commercialization on public safety, public health or youth outcomes. [continues 68 words]
Arizona's economy is growing, attracting national businesses and diverse industries, professionals and civic-minded leaders to continue making our state even more prosperous. As a representative of business, community, education and government leaders, I view Proposition 205 as an impediment to our economic growth. Based on significant concerns, I join the East Valley Partnership board of directors in opposing Prop 205, the ballot initiative to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Prop 205 introduces substantial risks to the years of hard work of many to make Arizona a wholesome place to build a business, family and community. Prop 205 could damage our economy. Few would benefit from the monopoly on retail sales. From an employer standpoint, studies show that marijuana legalization has adverse outcomes for businesses and challenges employers trying maintain a safe and productive work environment. [end]
BULLHEAD CITY - Proposition 205 is poorly written, creates two new bureaucracies and will greatly reduce Arizonans' ability to affect marijuana policy in the state, Laurence Schiff says. Schiff, a Kingman psychiatrist, outlined for the Colorado River Republican Women group several justifications for a "no" vote on the measure in the Nov. 8 election. Proposition 205 would legalize the possession and consumption of marijuana for anyone 21 or older and tax sales at 15 percent. He appeared on behalf of the "No on 205" campaign, but he said some aspects of the proposition make it hard even for pro-marijuana voters to support it. [continues 754 words]
There are several ways to measure the failure of the War on Drugs, starting with its role in sending a grossly disproportionate number of African-Americans to prison. Not far down the list is how the initiative affected marijuana supply and demand. Despite hundreds of billions of dollars in expenditures and decades of effort on drug eradication, millions of Americans continue to use the drug. Look it up. The 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the most recent year available, shows that 22.2 million Americans had used the drug within the past month when they were surveyed. Compared to 2002, marijuana use was up among all age groups survey save for one: 12- to 17-year-olds. Among the U.S. population of 18- to 25-year-olds, 22 percent were users. [continues 428 words]
Credit Christopher DeLorenzo People in nine states, including California, Florida and Massachusetts, will vote Nov. 8 on ballot proposals permitting recreational or medical use of marijuana. These initiatives could give a big push to legalization, prompting the next president and Congress to overhaul the countryas failed drug laws. This is a big moment for what was a fringe movement a few years ago. A Gallup poll released on Wednesday showed 60 percent of Americans support legalizing marijuana, up from 31 percent in 2000 and 12 percent in 1969. [continues 594 words]
