Question: What is your opinion on Prop 207, the Smart & Safe Act?
Answer: My vote is NO; it is not smart or safe. Seven generations of my family have called Arizona home. Arizona has always been known for the five C’s: Cotton, citrus, corn, cattle, copper, it is time to add cannabis -just NOT under this initiative prop 207. Arizona can do better.
The intent for an adult use program should be to stop destroying families and the lives of people over a God given plant. Eliminating a system that perpetuates low income people and families, stop arrests clogging up our Judicial system, and generate income for people thru free enterprise and a licensing structure. Prop 207 does not do that.
Our Arizona legislators need to step up and decriminalize marijuana. “Cannabis L Sativa is no longer a crime. All Laws, Rules, and Policy are moot and void”. Yes, it is as simple as that. We humans make things so difficult for each other.
Write regulations like other agriculture crops: Coffee, tea, corn, cotton, etc. Without accelerated taxation that only perpetuates the black market. This would lay the foundation for a structured program to be developed upon.
Prop 207 completely excludes Arizona farmers and agricultural growers from participation is this entire commodity crop, it is just wrong.
Prop 207 raids the Medical Marijuana fund. The Arizona Medical Marijuana Act gives exclusive rights to administer that fund for the benefit of the medical marijuana program, it cannot revert to the General Fund. Medical Director Dr. Christ needs to step up and issue $2000 gift cards to every registered patient as a stimulus to help Arizona’s economy. Everything spent will generate tax revenue.
Prop 207 allows only existing dispensary owner to participate in the adult use program. Many people think this will create a monopoly that violates the Arizona Constitution making it possible the program will be shut down before it can get up and running.
There is often an hour wait in our rural dispensaries for medical marijuana patients to get inside to make a purchase. It is common for products sell out leaving few choices or options. The same dispensaries are not capable of managing for the medical and adult use programs.
Prop 207 does not address any protection against search, seizure, and arrest, regardless of how it is currently written. Sure, everyone can possess up to an ounce when they leave home but is a scale going to be standard issued equipment to every law enforcement officer? Does possessing marijuana lead to a search of your vehicle and occupants to see if there is more, confiscating what you do have until a lab weighs it? What about firearms? There is the problem of being denied rental property, mortgage loans, vehicle, life and medical insurance, student loans, student housing, participation in any of our state programs such as food stamp, mental health, long term care, developmental disabilities & AHCCCS.
Prop 207 allows everyone to grow 6 plants with a 12 limit per household or does it? Every landlord, town, city, and county get to determine if you can grow. Arizona still has a law; the smell of marijuana is probable cause for a search warrant. Does this open everyone to search and possible seizure at home?
Finally, why would we exclude age 18-21? Are we really ok with destroying those young lives and families in our not so just -justice system, continuing to perpetuate the low- and no-income people in our state who cannot get jobs with a felony following them?
Arizona can do better.
This writer is the mother of five, grandmother to nine, great grandmother to nine. She also owns and operates a medical marijuana community resource center with 6100 patients who see doctors at the facility. Many of the issues listed above are still causing issues for registered medical marijuana patients even after the program has been operating for 10 years.
Submitted as an opinion by MJ Consulting LLC. 8540 E. State Rt. 69, Prescott Valley, AZ 928-772-2011, email mjconsultingllc@hotmail.com