j.p. holyoak Archives - TheJointBlog

Superior Court Judge Rules Arizona’s Legalization Initiative Can Appear on November Ballot

August 19, 2016

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge dismissed a lawsuit today filed by opponents of Proposition 205, which would legalize cannabis for everyone 21 and older; the goal of the lawsuit was to keep the measure off the November ballot.

“We are pleased with the court’s ruling and that Arizona voters will be able to exercise their right to vote on Proposition 205,” says J.P. Holyoak, Chairman of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMLA). “This was a frivolous and politically motivated lawsuit. If these county prosecutors dislike this ballot measure, they should take their arguments to the voters, not to our overburdened court system. We hope they will accept the court’s ruling and return to waging legal battles against dangerous criminals rather than citizen initiatives.”

Over 250,000 Signatures Submitted on Arizona Initiative to Legalize Cannabis

June 30, 2016

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMLA) today submitted 258,582 total signatures to the Arizona Secretary of State for their initiative to legalize cannabis for everyone 21 and older. This is far greater than than the 150,642 required to put the measure to a vote of the people this November.

“We are very encouraged by the strong levels of support and enthusiasm we found among voters during the petition drive,” says CRMLA Chairman J.P. Holyoak. “Arizonans are ready to end the antiquated policy of marijuana prohibition and replace it with a system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed similarly to alcohol. We look forward to continuing the public conversation about the initiative, and we think most will agree it is a sensible step forward for our state.”

Initiative to Legalize Cannabis in Arizona Reaches Milestone — 200,000 Signatures

April 12, 2016

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.”

Arizona: Over 75,000 Signatures Collected on Initiative to Legalize Cannabis

September 20, 2015September 17, 2015

Backers of an initiative to legalize recreational cannabis in Arizona announced Thursday that their petition drive has surpassed the 75,000-signature mark, half of the 150,642 needed to place the measure on the November, 2016 general election ballot.

“We’re finding that more than one out of every two registered voters we ask to sign is happy to do it, so that’s a good sign,” says J.P. Holyoak, Chairman of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol . “People recognize that marijuana prohibition has been just as big of a mess as alcohol prohibition was 80 years ago. It’s time for a more sensible approach.”

New Poll Shows Majority of Arizonans Support Ending Cannabis Prohibition

June 7, 2015June 3, 2015

A new poll conducted by the Behavior Research Center’s has found that a majority of those in Arizona support legalizing cannabis for recreational purposes.

According to the Rocky Mountain Poll, 53% of Arizonans support making possession of a small amount of cannabis legal for personal use, with just 39% opposed to the idea. Support outpaced opposition in all three of the geographical areas that were surveyed: 53% to 38% in Maricopa County; 47% to 43% in Pima County; and 58% to 38% in Rural Arizona.