Arizona lawmaker is pushing for recreational legalization

An Arizona
lawmaker plans to introduce a proposal next year to legalize recreational cannabis
in 2016. Republican Representative Ethan Orr from Tucson is urging other
conservatives to consider this option before another bill is proposed. Orr
wants to draw attention to the details of his proposal with rules, taxes and
thorough planning. He says that a voter-approved measure is nearly impossible
to change once it is approved and is not the way to set up a complex system of
rules and regulations, according to The
Arizona Capitol Times.

Apparently,
in order to change voter-approved measures in Arizona, you need a two-thirds
vote of each the State House and Senate, and the revisions must align with the
intent of the measure. These kinds of revisions are time-consuming and
difficult to implement after a measure is already on the books. “I would
rather us as elected leaders be the ones directing the conversation and the
debate, and ultimately controlling the policy, as opposed to letting it go to a
citizens’ initiative where you can’t change the law once it’s in place,”
he said.

Voters had
already approved the use of cannabis to treat certain medical conditions such
as chronic pain, cancer and muscle spasms.

Republican
Representative Bob Thorpe of Flagstaff said he has concerns about Colorado’s
legal industry, especially in when it comes to health, use by children and the
effect on neighboring states. Thorpe goes on to say that he believes passing a
recreational measure in Arizona would be nearly impossible, politically.
“I think being a Republican and sponsoring a bill that legalizes marijuana
might be a third rail,” Thorpe said. Something that you really don’t want
to touch as a Republican because you’ll get cooked, especially by the
base.”

Orr said
he believes a Colorado-style law here could generate upwards of $250 million a
year in tax revenues. He said the state, heading into a budget deficit, needs
that revenue. But, Orr said there’s another reason for lawmakers to act,
another already proposed 2016 ballot measure, with the Marijuana Policy Project
(MPP).

Orr’s
proposal drew a sharp reaction from Democratic Representative Victoria Steele,
from Tucson, who is running in the same district. She said the timing is
suspicious since she, Orr and Democrat Randy Friese are facing off for the two
available seats in the district.

The
proposal is getting negative reception from Republican gubernatorial hopeful
Doug Ducey who would be in a position to sign or veto the bill if it ever got
to his desk. Democrat Fred DuVal appears to be open to the idea with a
different timeline, according to Your
West Valley.

But the MPP,
which got voters in 2010 to approve a medical cannabis law, is not about to
drop its plans for 2016.

The well-known
advocate and master behind many legalization measures and spokesman for the MPP,
Mason Tvert, said more libertarian-leaning Republicans favor legalization and
political opinions on the cannabis movement are changing, and so are the
opinions of the public.

Normal
0

false
false
false

EN-US
JA
X-NONE

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}

There have
been other efforts to legalize cannabis in the state. Former Republican
Representative John Fillmore introduced a bill in 2011, and former Democratic
Representative Ruben Gallego proposed a measure this year—but neither made any
headway.