Cannabis Legalization Measure Filed in Arizona
Thirteen lawmakers have signed on to House Bill 2558, a recently-filed proposal which would legalize cannabis in Arizona similar to how Amendment 64 legalized cannabis in Colorado. 
Under the proposed law, adults 21 and older would be legally authorized to possess up to an ounce of cannabis, as well as a few cannabis plants. State-licensed retail outlets would be established to distribute cannabis.
Representative Ruben Gallego, an Iraq war veteran who is the primary sponsor of the legislation, says it will “regulate and tax marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol.”
In addition to House Bill 2558, thirteen lawmakers have also filed House Bill 2474, which would decriminalize, rather than legalize, the possession of up to an ounce of cannabis; the penalty would be dropped from a potential felony, to a simply ticket.
Those in Arizona who support either proposal should contact their district’s lawmakers – which they can look up by clicking here – and ask for their support.
– TheJointBlog
Jay Fleming
The problem with decriminalization, is that it leaves the black-market and all the bad that goes with it, like criminals, and cartels.
Dave K
Not only does decriminalization leave what has become the nation’s number one cash crop as an underground market it leaves dispensing of drugs in the hands of the violent gang bangers and the drug cartels. They do not ask for ID’s and they continue to sell far more dangerous and deadly drugs to anyone including our kids. In Colorado, retail marijuana sales require ID’s and marijuana is not sold to kids. People do not have the availability of other dangerous and more addicting drugs sold by drug dealers from a retail marijuana store. Taxes are collect from retail marijuana dealers. We collect none from the violent gang bangers or cartel members. Regulation is just common sense. We already regulate more deadly substances like alcohol and tobacco. We have even managed to lower tobacco smoking rates without jailing a single Arizonan by an effective evidence based approach. Decriminalization does not fix many of the serious problems with the War on Drugs. It does benefit those who would be arrested but realistically that is only part of the problem. Also, decriminalization does not put the focus of drug enforcement on those substances that actually kill people in Arizona. In Arizona overdoses to prescription drugs now kill more people than traffic accidents. It does not take a drug counselor for the rest of us to see that there is also a massive problem with crystal meth and heroin in our communities.