Initiative to Legalize Cannabis in Arizona Reaches Milestone — 200,000 Signatures
The Arizona Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol announced today that it has collected more than 200,000 signatures in support of a proposed initiative to end cannabis prohibition in the state.
Although this is well passed the 150,642 required to place the measure on this November’s general election ballot, the campaign plans to continue collecting to ensure that enough valid signatures are collected (any signature from a non-registered voter, and any duplicate signature, is considered invalid by the state).
“Voters want to have their say on whether Arizona should end marijuana prohibition,” says Campaign Chairman J.P. Holyoak. “It’s appearing more and more likely that they are going to have that opportunity. We’re finding that most Arizonans agree marijuana should be regulated and taxed similarly to alcohol.”
The proposed initiative would allow adults 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of cannabis, establish a system in which cannabis is regulated similarly to alcohol, and enact a 15 percent tax on retail cannabis sales, from which a majority of the revenue would be directed to Arizona schools and public education programs.
“The level of interest in signing our petition seems to grow as people learn more about marijuana and the specifics of the initiative,” Holyoak said. “The simple truth is that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol, and marijuana prohibition has been just as big of a failure as alcohol prohibition. Arizonans think it’s time for a more sensible approach, and that’s exactly what we’re proposing.”
The full text of the measure can be found by clicking here.