SAN LUIS, Ariz. - A medical marijuana dispensary is seeking the city's approval to grow and sell medicinal pot in San Luis, and residents will get a chance Tuesday to ask questions and speak out about the proposal. The city has been asked to approve two conditional use permits, one to allow the dispensary to open its doors in downtown, at 708 N. Archibald St., and a second to allow cultivation of the marijuana on industrial property at 2801 N. Main St. The name of the permit applicant was not immediately available from city officials. [continues 361 words]
Every day, there's a new report linked to science or medicine, most of which are really interesting. But there's one trend that I find to be fascinating ... illegal drugs finding a useful purpose. This week, the drug in the spotlight is a club drug called Special K. The drug is an anesthetic and animal tranquilizer, which can produce effects from intoxication to delirium. It can also make people unable to move, unable to feel pain, and can cause blackouts, according to AbovetheInfluence.com. [continues 326 words]
PHOENIX (AP) - The Arizona Supreme Court will review a lower court's ruling that said drivers who have medical marijuana cards can still be prosecuted under laws against driving under the influence while having marijuana in their system. The justices agreed without comment Tuesday to review a state Court of Appeals ruling issued last November. Two defendants who had medical marijuana cards allowing them to legally smoke pot had pointed to a medical marijuana law provision that provides a partial legal shield for pot usage prescribed by a physician. [continues 52 words]
Let's see if I have this right. James Reynold, Sr. and his group of Cancer Charity fund-raisers collect and misappropriate several hundred million dollars in the name of charity. They get to settle a $65.6 million judgment and have their record wiped clean for a $75,000 cash payment and no time served. I have also noticed that if you happen to have the wrong color skin and sell an ounce or more of drugs you can expect 5-10 years or more in prison and a felony conviction that follows you the rest of your life. I guess those druggies just don't know who to make political contributions to. Ain't justice grand! - - Ron Sampson Sun Lakes [end]
James Reynolds II used the Mesa-based Breast Cancer Society to raise and misappropriate (steal) millions of dollars, in the name of charity. He gets to settle a $65.6 million judgment and have his record wiped clean for a $75,000 cash payment and no time served. I have also noticed that if you happen to have the wrong color skin and sell an ounce or more of drugs you can expect five to 10 years or more in jail/prison and a felony conviction that follows/haunts you for the rest of your life. I guess that those druggies just don't know who to make political contributions to. Ain't justice grand! - - Ron Sampson Sun Lakes [end]
A Prescott Valley anti-drug group is drawing fire for using money seized by law enforcement to warn about the dangers of marijuana. The criticism comes from supporters of a proposed ballot measure to legalize the drug, who are also raising legal questions about the line between educating and campaigning. Matforce, a non-profit organization, has received $110,612 in government-seized racketeering money over the past five years to educate the public about the harmful effects of marijuana, methamphetamine and other drugs. The group advocates against the legalization of marijuana using other funds, including private donations. [continues 1076 words]
PHOENIX -- Saying he has concerns about abuse, Attorney General Mark Brnovich late Thursday yanked his formal legal opinion which said public officials can use their offices and resources to "educate" voters on an upcoming ballot measure. In a prepared statement, press aide Kristen Keogh said there were "allegations" that his opinion, issued less than two weeks ago "may have provided an opportunity for potential government abuse." And she said he takes that issue "very seriously." Communications chief Ryan Anderson said the next step is to review the issue and issue a revision that is not only "more clear" but also ensures that the opinion, which can be cited in court cases, is not used in a way that does not protect taxpayer dollars. [continues 325 words]
As a fourth-generation Arizonan, father, grandfather and 26 years as a practicing pediatrician, I am opposed to the legalization of marijuana in Arizona. The science and research show what serious detrimental, even dangerous, effects this would have on the youth of our state. Data flowing in from states where legalization has occurred show an increase in marijuana use in adolescents, which happened after the laws passed but even before those laws took effect. The message sent to our youth is that marijuana is not harmful because adult voters would not legalize a dangerous drug. But that message does not square with reality. [continues 257 words]
Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk and Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery object to the legalization of marijuana. The war against black-market marijuana has admittedly failed. Pot is popular, easily available, in the schools and people are driving under its influence. Yet, can we honestly claim illegal marijuana is more harmful than that which is legal? Granted, appearances are sometimes deceiving. Shouldn't the county attorneys, however, be obligated to tell you and me if they prefer marijuana be marketed by the Mexican cartels? Alvin Arnold - - Wickenburg [end]
So now politicians are going to use our tax dollars to fight the marijuana initiative? Great. ("Burning tax dollars to send marijuana initiative up in smoke?" E.J. Montini's May 8 column.) Where I live most people either smoked pot 40 years ago or they knew someone who did. It's not uncommon to smell it on the older residents in my area. The politicians that are lining up to kill the marijuana initiative are going to be surprised. A lot of people have experience - although they may not still smoke - who know this can mean more income for the state, less money spent on a "crime" that is a personal matter and less harmful than alcohol. Al Sweet Youngtown [end]
County Attorneys Sheila Polk and Bill Montgomery object to the legalization of marijuana. The war against black-market marijuana has admittedly failed. Pot is popular, easily available, in the schools and people are driving under its influence. Yet, can we honestly claim illegal marijuana is more harmful than that which is legal? Shouldn't the county attorneys, however, be obligated to tell you and me if they prefer marijuana be marketed by the Mexican cartels? Alvin Arnold Wickenburg [end]
SCOTTSDALE - Bud is a burgeoning business in Arizona. Revenue from medical marijuana in Arizona more than tripled year-over-year in 2014, leading to a variety of individuals trying to find a fortune among the green. The Marijuana Companies is just one of the businesses trying to capitalize on the growing industry. "At some point, marijuana is going to be legalized, that's just the trend that I see," company spokesman John Gorman said. Since the Scottsdale-based company went public in March, Gorman and the employees at The Marijuana Companies have worked hard to create what they call an online marijuana hub, a one-stop-shop for anything marijuana related, whether it's finding a dispensary, a recipe or even a date. [continues 525 words]
I write this letter on behalf of the traditional drug cartels operating within our state. These lucrative businesses now face the threat of a well-regulated and taxed government program that would restrict sales of marijuana in the same way America restricts the sale of alcohol. Organized crime lost trillions of dollars since the repeal of alcohol prohibition in the 1930s. Cartels don't want to suffer the same fate. These cartels, now representing our great state, wish to applaud and support the efforts of Attorney General Mark Brnovich and county attorneys Sheila Polk and Bill Montgomery in their crusade to "educate" the people of Arizona, and to decide for Arizona citizens that marijuana sales need to stay in the hands of the cartels that have faithfully served Arizona for decades. - - Robert Fern, Show Low [end]
Arizona can use the tax money from the marijuana to update or schools and other troubled areas in our state. I do care about our youth, but as anything else kids will get their pot one way or another. I think it's a good idea to try to control marijuana as much as possible. Thank You for hearing me out. Yuma [end]
Educating or politicking? ... Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich issued a legal opinion last week saying elected officials can use their offices and resources to educate the public about why they think marijuana should not be legalized in 2016. Brnovich issued the new opinion in response to an inquiry from Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk and Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery. Both are vocal critics of legalization and Polk is leading an effort to defeat an initiative led by the Marijuana Policy Project to legalize marijuana for recreational use. [continues 490 words]
Arizona laws says, essentially, an elected politician can't overtly try to sway an election while on taxpayer time and on the taxpayer's dime. Sort of the way that you or I would get fired -- justifiably -- if we told our bosses we'd be out of the office a few hours handing out pamphlets for a politician or a political cause. Elected officials get paid to work for the people, not to push personal agendas. Unless, apparently, they're afraid their side might lose. [continues 432 words]
A Presidential Candidate Run-Down on Marijuana The 2016 presidential field is beginning to take shape, and some of the candidates have revealed their stance on marijuana legalization. Below is a roundup of what some of the declared presidential candidates have said about marijuana. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order. The former first lady, secretary of state, and U.S. senator has openly stated that marijuana has medical value and that she wants to see states move forward with their own laws. Her comments on marijuana include: [continues 500 words]
PHOENIX - Attorney General Mark Brnovich has cleared the way for public officials to use their offices and public resources to "educate" voters on why they believe marijuana should not be made legal. In a new formal opinion, Brnovich acknowledged there are laws prohibiting the use of public funds to influence the outcome of elections - a restriction he noted that applies even before a proposal has qualified for the ballot. But Brnovich said no law prohibits public education campaigns - even ones that are not fair and balanced. He said even one-sided arguments are permitted "so long as they do not unambiguously urge the electorate to cast a vote for or against the measure." [continues 610 words]
PHOENIX - Attorney General Mark Brnovich has cleared the way for public officials to use their offices and resources to "educate" voters on why they believe marijuana should not be made legal. In a new formal opinion, Brnovich acknowledged various laws prohibit the use of public funds to influence the outcome of elections. And the attorney general said that restriction applies even before a proposal has qualified for the ballot. But Brnovich said nothing in these laws precludes public education campaigns - even ones that are not fair and balanced. He said even one-sided arguments are permitted "so long as they do not unambiguously urge the electorate to cast a vote for or against the measure." [continues 620 words]
A Lawsuit Against TPD From 420 House Owner, Moves Forward Attorney Vernon Peltz points out two different concerns in Ron Johnson's case: his unfounded arrest and the seizure of money, jewelry, his medical marijuana and more the night of May 10, 2013 (which is what triggered the lawsuit he filed this month on Johnson's behalf), and the attempt of a Pima County prosecutor to prolong the criminal proceedings, despite proof Johnson didn't participate in the shooting or drug transaction that evening. [continues 729 words]
Owner of 420 House files a lawsuit against TPD claiming illegal forfeitur e On a May evening about two years ago, Ron Johnson claims he woke up to someone banging at his front door. He dragged himself out of bed and opened up. Before he could even ask what was going on, a Tucson Police officer handcuffed and shoved him in the back of a patrol car for the next six hours. Two days prior, he had suffered a heart attack and was trying to recover at home. While in custody, he says he repeatedly told officers he did not feel good, but any request for medical attention was ignored. [continues 753 words]
Although many states have laws legalizing marijuana usage, it is still illegal under federal law; but the Justice Department said it will not challenge states' marijuana laws as long as they do not run counter to certain federal enforcement priorities, such as selling pot to minors. A planned 2016 ballot initiative would ask Arizona voters to legalize marijuana for recreational use and establish a network of licensed cannabis shops where sales of the drug would be taxed, in part, to fund education. [continues 1156 words]
PTSD researcher Sue Sisley keeps up the fight and road to marijuana research to help U.S veterans Set back is not in Sue Sisley's vocabulary. When the researcher was fired from her UA non-tenured clinical assistant professorship last summer, Sisley took center stage on news outlets across the country. While the UA denied it, Sisley claimed political pressure from a conservative and anti-marijuana state Legislature led to her contract not being renewed, derailing the marijuana PTSD research she'd be fighting for the past five years. [continues 639 words]
Maryjane, Weed, Dope, Pot ... Whatever You Want to Call It, It Has Taken Root to Call Tucson Home In upcoming weeks, Earth's Healing dispensary will get to christen a 10,000 square-feet cultivation site with new medical marijuana strains. The one they are most proud of was donated to the dispensary by a caregiver who wanted the special medical strain he'd been harvesting for years to have a legacy. The so-called Champasu is highly enhanced with CBD, or cannabidiol, one of the major medicinal compounds of ganja. CBD is used for treating chronic pain, diabetes, cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other neurological disorders. [continues 662 words]
Only One Group Can Survive the Legalization Initiative Process If Arizona Really Wants Legal Weed A group made up of medical marijuana dispensary stakeholders surprised the Marijuana Policy Project when they came out of the closet with a different ballot measure proposal to legalize recreational pot next year. Up until about two weeks ago, the official plan A was an initiative by the Washington-based group that's been in the works for months. But MPP can't seem to make all of its Arizona allies happy, and ended up pushing its former campaign chairwoman Gina Berman to abandon the group and start her own. [continues 698 words]
Court: Stopping Valid Use Can't Be Probation Term The Arizona Supreme Court on Tuesday issued two rulings barring courts and prosecutors from denying marijuana use as a term of probation if the convicted felons have valid medical-marijuana cards. In one case, a man convicted of possessing marijuana for sale in Cochise County was forbidden from using marijuana by a probation officer after he was released from prison. In the second, a woman pleading guilty to DUI in Yavapai County refused to accept abstention from marijuana as a term of probation, prompting the prosecution to withdraw the plea agreement. Both had valid medical-marijuana cards. [continues 624 words]
The director of a group behind an initiative to legalize pot in Arizona threatened to target the business affairs of a marijuana-dispensary medical director who joined a competing legalization effort, documents obtained by The Arizona Republic show. Two groups have filed paperwork with the Secretary of State's Office to pursue initiatives legalizing recreational marijuana: the influential Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project and the newly created Arizonans for Responsible Legalization. The conflict focuses on Gina Berman, medical director at the Giving Tree Wellness Center marijuana dispensary and an emergency-room physician. Berman worked with the Marijuana Policy Project's campaign committee before joining Arizonans for Responsible Legalization. [continues 751 words]
Second Group Files Paperwork to Seek 2016 Vote on Legalizing Pot A second group aiming to put marijuana legalization on the 2016 ballot filed paperwork Friday with the Secretary of State's Office. Calling itself Arizonans for Responsible Legalization, the group said in a news release it wants to allow adults to purchase small amounts of marijuana for private use and tax marijuana sales to help fund education. The release lists Gina Berman, identified as an emergency room physician, as leading the effort. Barrett Marson, a spokesman for the group, said Berman is affiliated with a medical marijuana dispensary. [continues 263 words]
Supporters filed paperwork Friday to kick off what could be a second 2016 ballot initiative that would allow Arizona adults to buy small amounts of marijuana for private use. The group, Arizonans for Responsible Legalization, said it would not offer details of its plan until it unveils the initiative language. "Arizonans for Responsible Legalization is committed to common sense regulation of the marijuana industry and ensuring the greatest benefit to taxpayers," Gina Berman, an emergency room physician who will lead the effort, said a statement. [continues 336 words]
Regarding Bill Richardson'=C2=80=C2=99s March 8 op-ed, there is a middle ground between drug prohibition and blanket legalization. Switzerland'=C2=80=C2=99 s heroin maintenance program has been shown to reduce disease, death and crime by providing addicts with standardized doses in a clinical setting. The success of the Swiss program has inspired heroin maintenance pilot projects in Canada, Germany, Spain, Denmark and the Netherlands. If expanded, prescription heroin maintenance would deprive organized crime of a core client base. This would render illegal heroin trafficking unprofitable and spare future generations addiction. [continues 103 words]
A state ballot initiative legalizing marijuana for recreational use may be on the Arizona ballot next year. A recent ASU Morrison Institute for Public Policy survey found that some 45 percent of respondents support such legalization. To many of us who have studied the issue of marijuana and public health, these findings are nothing short of surprising. Take a look at just five of many recent headlines about scientific studies examining the effects of marijuana on the brain, especially the teen brain: [continues 472 words]
Medicating on the Go With Vape Pens There are many ways to ingest medical marijuana and each has its pros and cons. Some folks swear by their edibles while others prefer the tried and true approach to medical marijuana: just plain smoking it. But thanks to advances in science and tech, vaporizing marijuana is the new norm. In fact, next to dabs, vaping (inhaling and exhaling the vapor produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device, which became Oxford Dictionary's word of the year in 2014) has become one of the most popular new ways for patients to medicate. [continues 554 words]
The big issue now in the new marijuana legalization initiative draft language is cultivation Language allowing people to grow recreational marijuana at their homes was completely scratched from a new draft of the citizens' initiative we might see on the 2016 ballot, making the months-long collaboration between Safer Arizona and the Marijuana Policy Project a bit rusty in recent days. Up until this draft, dated Feb. 25, cultivation rights were considered. Ten days prior, the initiative said a person could grow up to six plants and a household a total of 12. Some dispensaries were concerned this might affect their business, and, according to members of Safer Arizona and other like-minded pot advocates, this might have been a reason for removing that section. [continues 753 words]
The Tempe Police Department announced yet another big drug bust involving Mexican drug cartels. This has to be the third or fourth announcement by police touting monumental success in the "war on drugs." Police told the media the "30-month investigation that resulted in the dismantling of what investigators described as an extensive drug trafficking network that stretched from Sinoloa, Mexico, to Phoenix, Los Angeles and Indianapolis." After being involved in the "war on drugs" for the majority of my police and post retirement career investigating drugs and drug use for a major international corporation, my opinion of local law enforcement mounting time and cost consuming operations on major drug trafficking organizations based in Mexico, or any other country, is somewhat low. Drugs are here and they aren't going away, not now, not ever. I don't care how many flashy and boastful press releases the police make. [continues 535 words]
An Opinion on the Latest MJ Legalization Petition Draft From a MMJ Dispensary Operator I have been involved in the Pro-Cannabis movement for quite some time. I am actively involved with an alphabet soup of drug policy reform organizations. I voted to legalize medical marijuana in Arizona in 1996 and 1998. With my help those medical marijuana initiatives were passed by a majority of the voters but never enacted. This was a frustrating event for a young man voting in his first two elections. The votes had been counted and we won. Why didn't we get our program along with California, that also passed a medical marijuana law? [continues 1842 words]
Editor: Republican Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, demonstrated proof he doesn't understand history regarding government's effort to prohibit cannabis (marijuana) by inferring Colorado's actions an "experiment." In fact, like the original prohibition with alcohol, known as the Grand Experiment, the sequel with cannabis prohibition is indeed the "experiment." More accurately, cannabis prohibition, the act of government caging humans for using a relatively safe God-given plant has been a Luciferous Frankenstein experiment at best. Colorado isn't experimenting in re-legalizing cannabis but rather we ended the experiment, and in doing so ended one America's worst policy failures in history. Stan White Dillon, Colo. [end]
Marijuana Policy Project, Safer Arizona Prepare Final Initiative Draft to Collect Signatures for Legal Pot Initiative for Nov. 2016 Ballot Keep an eye out in the beginning of March for the final draft of a citizens' initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in 2016. The Washington-based Marijuana Policy Project and Safer Arizona have been in intense talks about the language in the measure, in the works since the end of October. Throughout the process, wishes and concerns have influenced sections of the initiative, especially cultivation rights, small business opportunities and more lenient legal consequences. [continues 709 words]
Humble Announces Resignation, but No Word on WHO Replaces the Adhs Director Arizona Department of Health Services Director Will Humble announced he plans to step down on March 3. Humble gave Gov. Doug Ducey his resignation on Friday, Feb. 13. The director was front and center in the implementation of the state's voter-approved medical marijuana program, and while some marijuana advocates feel Humble did little to speed up the program steeped in bureaucracy, there's more concern about who Ducey will pick to fill Humble's shoes. [continues 413 words]
Shabreta Peterson got a medical marijuana card in December to legally treat her severe social anxiety, extreme nausea and excruciating back pain. All it takes is a puff or two, or some edibles in the morning, for her to get through the full-time work day comfortably. In the mornings, she has to decide, "Should I smoke before work and not hurt all day? Or be in pain until I get home?" [continues 808 words]
State Lawmaker Is Interested in Growing Industrial Hemp in Arizona State Sen. Lynne Pancrazi, a Democrat from Yuma, recently introduced a bill asking for the creation of an industrial hemp study committee to examine the economic opportunities associated with the industry. The one-page bill, SB 1225, lists the people who should be part of this study committee, including two members of the state Senate appointed by the Senate president, two members of the state House appointed by the speaker, the director of the Arizona Department of Agriculture, and the dean of the UA's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. It also includes representatives of a statewide farm association. [continues 251 words]
Mr. and Ms. Legislator: How NOT to fix Arizona's deficit - by pouring more money into private prisons. * Our tax dollars go to corporations outside of Arizona that post hundreds of millions in profits. * The jobs in private prisons do not pay well and have high prisoner-to-staff ratios, making them dangerous for prisoners and staff alike. * Careers and families are ruined with high incarceration rates for minor offenses because Arizona agreed to fill every bed or pay a penalty to the corporation. [continues 73 words]
Letter to the Editor I take exception to the Kirk Muse letter (Jan. 18), and his unsubstantiated claims. He stated that there are 2.2 million prisoners because of the "war-on-drugs policies" of the United States. He then claims that the "war" is an excuse to imprison "black and brown people." I would ask him to clarify a few things: Does he believe the large number of prisoners have nothing to do with a more permissive society? I suppose that means the lawyers and judges and their outrageous "exceptions and interpretations" do not encourage potential lawbreakers to suppose that all they'll get is a slap-on-the-wrist. [continues 124 words]
A Tucson Man Finds Himself in the Hospital Unable to Take the MMJ He Needs When James Ball went to St. Mary's Hospital he assumed he would be able to consume some medical marijuana edibles he had with him to help control the pain. He has a medical marijuana patient card, issued by the state, so he figured it wouldn't be a problem. However, he was told the only thing he could take for pain would be what they'd prescribe, and he didn't want to take pain killers. [continues 385 words]
A recent letter writer opposed the legalization of marijuana on the grounds that most users of heroin started with marijuana ( "A lot of those doing hard drugs got started with pot," Letters, Monday). That is true, of course, but it's also irrelevant. You might as well try to ban milk, because most heroin users were once milk drinkers. No, the relevant question is this: of all users of marijuana, how many go on to use hard drugs? That number will be very small, and it is likely that most of that number would be using heroin whether marijuana was legal or not. Robert Ryden Apache Junction [end]
A Primer on Two Marijuana Bills Making Their Way Through State Legislature State Rep. Mark Cardenas, a second-term Democrat from the Phoenix area, introduced legislation to legalize recreational pot and another to decriminalize by reducing penalties for possession. The first, House Bill 2007, would green light the purchase, consumption and possession of pot to adults 21 and older. You'd also be able to grow up to five plants for your smoking or eating purposes, but you can't smoke in public and you can't use a fake ID to purchase or sell to minors, among other regulations that are the same as how the state deals with alcohol. [continues 667 words]
Advocates: 'Big marijuana' is already here, and it's not those pushing for a regulated industry. We call it the cartel. In Sheila Polk and Merilee Fowler's guest column ("Why 'Big Marijuana' must be stopped," Viewpoints, Jan. 10), they naively refer to "Big Marijuana" as a greedy monster that will be created if a regulated system for marijuana is put in place. We have news for them. Big Marijuana already exists, and it's called the cartel. These are criminals who will rape, murder and steal to sell drugs to our children, and they were created and enriched by the very prohibition that Polk and Fowler advocate we maintain. [continues 254 words]
Thanks for publishing the outstanding letter from Mike Ross: "War on Drugs." In 1963, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech, the United States had about 200,000 total prisoners. Today, largely because of our war-on-drugs policies, the United States has more than 2.2 million prisoners. It's obvious that the so-called war on drugs is actually a war on politically selected people, and black and brown people are the politically selected people. [continues 69 words]
Thank you for two excellent editorials in your Jan. 10 edition. The guest opinion, "Pull Brakes Now on 'Big Marijuana,' " deftly refuted the propaganda machine that has been attempting to convince folks of the so-called benign consequences of using marijuana and is effects on society in general. Those that promote marijuana (other than for very specific, controlled medical use) would be better served by asking themselves why they need marijuana in their lives to cope, relax, enjoy life, etc. Also, Doug MacEachern's column on progressives and free speech really hit the nail on the head. For a group that supposedly is for freedoms, progressives have a lousy record when it comes to disagreeing in a civil manner with those who hold opposing views. Thanks Doug for so eloquently challenging those that choose to stifle honest discussions of dissenting views. Kathy Diekelman, Tempe [end]
The 420 Social Club Provides Medical Marijuana Patients a Place to Medicate and Hang Tucson medical marijuana users now have a home away from home where they can medicate and hang out. The 420 Social Club on Fourth Avenue has been open to all medical marijuana card holders since last month, and it's the first to start functioning in the Old Pueblo, while a few already have been set up in the Phoenix area. Creator Ron Johnson, a Vietnam veteran with multiple health issues, wanted a safe haven for patients to meet each other that also provided educational resources and a setting that, of course, abides by the law. [continues 705 words]
The Saturday Viewpoints centerpiece on marijuana picks some facts and ignores others ("Why 'Big Marijuana' must be stopped"). That's neither smart nor accurate. California leads the way. In October 2010, voters passed a law decriminalizing marijuana use. Possession of up to an ounce is treated like a parking ticket, with a maximum $100 fine. The result? Overall youth crime is down by nearly 30 percent. And it didn't lead to any of the harms prohibitionists predicted. Quite the opposite: Since the law passed in 2010, the rate of both high-school dropouts and youth drug overdoses are down by 20 percent. Non-marijuana drug arrests for California youth are also down 23 percent, fully debunking the gateway theory. [continues 59 words]
Inside Arizona
