cannabisnews.com: Initiative Filed to Change Law for Marijuana





Initiative Filed to Change Law for Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on July 05, 2002 at 11:24:32 PT
By Mel Meléndez, The Arizona Republic
Source: Arizona Republic
Marijuana backers in Arizona hope the third time will be the charm, thanks to a November initiative that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of the drug and allow its use for medical purposes."The Legislature has been fighting this movement since Arizonans first approved a medical marijuana initiative in 1996," said Sam Vagenas, a spokesman for The People Have Spoken.
"They (legislators) blocked that one, and the second one passed in 1998. But this one will stick because this initiative has more meat to it."Backed by University of Phoenix founder John Sperling, the group became the last faction to file petition signatures for its proposition to make it onto the November ballot. The group spent about $300,000 to gather more than 165,000 signatures, which were delivered Thursday to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office.The marijuana initiative followed three Indian gaming initiatives and various Legislative measures, including a referendum extending the Arizona State Lottery and another doubling the state sales tax on tobacco products. If approved by voters, the marijuana initiative will create a medical registry card system authorizing the drug for those with debilitating health issues. It would also decriminalize the possession of 2 ounces or less of marijuana, marijuana paraphernalia or two marijuana plants, if for personal use. But it would increase maximum sentences for violent crimes committed by those on drugs.Most important, the initiative would establish a state-administered system for distribution of the drug to qualifying patients, Vagenas said."The marijuana, doctors and patients all must be from Arizona," he said. "That will eliminate any issues of violating interstate law."Vagenas said his backers have spurred passage of similar medical marijuana initiatives in other states, including California, Oregon, Maine, Alaska and Hawaii.Ron Ruziski of Phoenix said he would support a medical marijuana proposition."Those who are ill deserve to be as comfortable as possible," he said. "Marijuana isn't any more dangerous than many of the prescribed drugs patients take anyway, so I'm not too concerned."Source: Arizona Republic (AZ) Author: Mel Meléndez, The Arizona RepublicPublished: July 05, 2002 Copyright: 2002 The Arizona Republic Contact: opinions arizonarepublic.com Website: http://www.arizonarepublic.com/ Related Articles:Pot Battle Looming for State http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12717.shtmlBig Bong Theory - Phoenix New Times http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10909.shtmlThreesome Fund Growing War On The War On Drugshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9908.shtml 
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Comment #4 posted by freedom fighter on July 06, 2002 at 02:08:12 PT
One is not enough!
When I got busted for growing one plant and charged with felony but defered to Diversion, my first interview was with this old lady. This is what she said. One is not enough for me. I sure felt like asking her how many is enough for a guy. I have been helping a med-pot user growing, he is legally allow to grow 6.That is not enough for a med-pot user. It's tough to grow 6 in four months and only be able to get a quarter pound or so.ff
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Comment #3 posted by herbdoc215 on July 06, 2002 at 00:57:41 PT:
Canon Fodder, or Shock Troop Recruiters?
I don't know about everybody else but I for one am sick of watching rich white dudes line us true believers up to go to jail in their place because they think they can spend a few bucks to " make the world safer for democracy " or leave a legacy. Hell they have passed plenty of bs laws that has got dam few medicine and most of our leaders locked up or in exile, without ever spending a nickel to see one of these laws implimented or defending the frontline troops. Playing political cat and mouse games with gov't can only draw this out forever with lawyers being the only true winners. As I have said all along, How many more people have to suffer before we end this dumshit madness and take our courts back? Peace, Steve Tuck 
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Comment #2 posted by Lehder on July 05, 2002 at 19:04:30 PT
two plants?
what the hell can you do with 2 plants? who's the genius who came up with a 2 plant limit for misdemeanor status? a right-to-life cop will get ahold of somebody with three seeds and claim that life begins as a seed, that a marijuana seed carries with it the destruction of a soul, and three seeds are a felony.maybe the idea is that someone with two plants could be charged with intent to look at marijuana, a misdemeanor, while someone with 15 or 20 plants could be charged with intent to smoke some marijuana, felony.anyway, we have votes coming up in ohio, alaska, nevada, michigan maybe, now arizona. between now and then we can count on an attack on iraq and whatever other evil festers in the sick minds of potus41 and potus43. let's hope we actually see some elections in november, that they're honest elections, that the votes are fairly counted and someone lives to tell about them.
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Comment #1 posted by p4me on July 05, 2002 at 14:07:44 PT
Drug Policy Alliance Press Release-7/3/02
The Lindesmith.org website is now the Drug Policy Alliance40,000 Signatures to be Filed With DC Board of Elections for Drug Treatment Instead of Incarceration InitiativeMeasure to Help Prevent Drug-Related Crime and Save Money Expected on District’s November BallotFor Immediate Release: Wednesday, July 3, 2002. Contact: Shayna Samuels, 212-547-6916 or Tony Newman, 510-208- 7711The DC Campaign for Treatment -- a District-based organization formed for the purpose of promoting treatment and other alternatives to help drug offenders -- will turn in nearly 40,000 signatures on Monday, July 8 in support of Measure 62, the "Treatment Instead of Jail for Certain Non-Violent Drug Offenders Initiative of 2002." The Measure is expected to appear on DC's November ballot. If passed, this initiative would allow substance abuse treatment rather than incarceration for eligible non-violent, first or second time offenders charged with simple possession or use of certain drugs in DC."This initiative is going to help District residents struggling with addiction get the treatment that they need," said Bill McColl, President of the DC Campaign for Treatment and Director of National Affairs at the Drug Policy Alliance. "It will keep residents here in the District with their families where they belong. Similar initiatives have increased treatment in California and Arizona and it will work in the District too."The Campaign has collected more than double the amount of signatures needed to qualify the initiative, demonstrating a willingness of DC voters to look for alternatives to incarcerating people in need of drug treatment.Signatures are being gathered for similar "treatment instead of jail" initiatives in Michigan and Ohio for the November ballot, while another has been approved in Florida for 2004.DC's Measure 62 is modeled after California's Proposition 36 (2000) and Arizona's Proposition 200 (1996). California's Legislative Analyst's Office estimated prior to passage that Proposition 36 would divert over 36,000 non- violent drug offenders to treatment annually, saving California taxpayers approximately $1.5 billion over the next five years, and preventing the need for a new prison scheduled for construction. In just one year since the passage of Prop. 36, California has increased the number of licensed and certified substance abuse slots by 68%. Similarly, Proposition 200 in Arizona has diverted 2,600 drug offenders into treatment and saved Arizona taxpayers $2.56 million during its first year of implementation and over $6 million in prison costs within its second year, according to a study by the Arizona Supreme Court."It just makes sense to treat drug addiction as the health issue that it is, instead of wasting millions of taxpayer dollars trying to incarcerate our way out of our drug problems," said Katharine Huffman, Director of State-Based Projects at the Drug Policy Alliance.Measure 62 is being sponsored by the DC Campaign for Treatment -- a collaborative effort of the Drug Policy Alliance, the nation's leading organization promoting sensible alternatives to the war on drugs, and Campaign for New Drug Policies, a national organization aimed to reform drug laws and policies.# # #Drug Policy Alliance is the nation's leading organization working to end the war on drugs and promote new drug policies based on common sense, science, public health and human rights. The Alliance, headquartered in New York City, has offices in Sacramento, Oakland, San Francisco, Washington, DC and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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