Initiative to Legalize Recreational Cannabis Filed in Arizona
An initiative
to legalize cannabis, titled the Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act, was filed today in Arizona.
The proposal was filed with the Arizona Secretary of State by representatives of the Marijuana Policy Project, Safer Arizona and Arizona’s cannabis business community.
“It was a long and deliberative drafting process involving a diverse group of stakeholders,” says Carlos Alfaro, Arizona political director for the Marijuana Policy Project. “There were some bumps in the road, but in the end everyone came together to produce the best possible law for Arizona. We are united in this effort to end marijuana prohibition and replace it with a system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed similarly to alcohol.”
If approved into law, the initiative would:
- allow adults 21 years of age and older to possess and privately consume and grow limited amounts of cannabis;
- create a system in which licensed businesses can produce and sell marijuana to adults and establish a Department of Marijuana Licenses and Control to regulate the cultivation, manufacturing, testing, transportation, and sale of cannabis;
- provide local governments with the authority to regulate and prohibit cannabis businesses; and
- establish a 15% tax on adult cannabis sales in addition to standard sales taxes.
The full text of the initiative can be found by clicking here.
According to a Friday press release sent out by proponents of the initiative; “Our next step will be to collect the signatures of at least 150,642 registered Arizona voters by June 2016 in order to qualify the initiative for the November 2016 ballot. Please join the campaign now so that we can keep you posted on our progress and let you know about ways you can get involved.”
– TheJointBlog