Proposition 205 Archives

Initiative to Legalize Marijuana Filed in Arizona, Advocates Aim for 2018 Ballot

February 20, 2017February 16, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

An initiative to legalize the possession, cultivation and license distribution of marijuana has been filed in Arizona.

The proposal was filed with Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan by the nonprofit political action committee Safer Arizona. The measure would legalize the possession of cannabis for those 21 and older, while allowing them to cultivate up to 48 plants at home. The initiative would also establish a system of licensed and regulated cannabis retail outlets and cultivation centers.

Advocates of the measure, titled the Safer Arizona Cannabis Legalization Act, must now collect 150,000 signatures by July to place the measure on the November, 2018 general election ballot.

One Week Until These Five States Vote on Legalizing Cannabis

October 30, 2016October 30, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

It’s hard to believe, but we are now just one week and two days away from the 2016 election. In addition to a heated presidential race, there are five states voting on the legalization of cannabis for those 21+.

Below are these five states, all of which have the opportunity on November 8th to legalize cannabis:

Super Bowl Winning QB to Appear in Ad Supporting Arizona’s Legalization Initiative

October 21, 2016October 19, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

The new TV Ad Featuring Super Bowl Champion Quarterback Jim McMahon is Set to Air During tomorrow’s Bears-Packers Matchup on Thursday Night Football; Watch Now by clicking here.

During tomorrow’s Thursday Night Football matchup between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, the Arizona Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMLA) will be airing a commercial in support of Proposition 205, their initiative to legalize cannabis which is up for a vote next month. The commercial will feature Super Bowl winning quarterback Jim McMahin, an Arizona resident who began his career with the Bears, ended it with the Packers, and spent a season with the Arizona Cardinals.

The ad begins with McMahon describing his first major injury, which occurred during his second season. “That’s when I started using painkillers, and I was using them daily, pretty much the rest of my career,” he says. “It takes its toll. I was taking too many of those things.”

Discount Tire Donates $1 Million to Fight Legalization in Arizona: Time for a Boycott

October 17, 2016October 17, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

The Discount Tire Co. has just contributed $1 million to the primary campaign working to defeat Arizona’s Proposition 205, which would legalize cannabis for everyone 21 and older and is up for a vote next month.

Discount Tire, the largest privately help company in Arizona and one of the largest companies throughout the country with over 900 stores, donated the $1 million to Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy. This is according to financial records released by the Arizona Secretary of State’s office.

Clearly a boycott is in order for those who support a reformation of our failed cannabis policies. Anyone who supports legalization should no longer shop at a Discount Tire store, and should urge their friends and family to do the same.

Company that Supplies Prison Meals Donates to Defeat Cannabis Legalization in Arizona

October 13, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

In a clear sign that the prison industry is fearful of the reduced prison population that would come with legalized cannabis, Services Group of America (SGA) has donated $80,000 to the primary campaign working to defeat Arizona’s Proposition 205, according to Arizona donation records. SGA is one of the nation’s largest food service providers which supplies to numerous prisons.

Proposition 205, which is being voted on next month, would legalize recreational cannabis for everyone 21 and older. The possession of up to an ounce would be allowed, as would the personal cultivation of up to six cannabis plants. State-licensed cannabis retail outlets – supplied by licensed cultivation centers – would also be legalized.

Painkiller Producer Donates $500,000 to Fight Cannabis Legalization in Arizona

September 9, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

Surprise, surprise, the pharmaceutical industry is worried about the legalization of cannabis, a substance studies have shown reduces the use of painkillers. Insys Therapeutics, a painkiller manufacturer based in Chandler, Arizona, has donated $500,000 to Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy, the main opposition group the Proposition 205 to legalize cannabis (up for a vote this November). As noted by the Washington Post, this is “one of the largest single contributions to any anti-legalization campaign ever”.

Proposition 205 would legalize the possession of up to an ounce of cannabis, and the personal cultivation of up to six cannabis plants, for those 21 and older. The measure would also legalize cannabis retail outlets. According to polling released this week, 50% of voters in the state say they support the initiative, with 40% opposed; 10% – enough to cause a 50/50 split – remain undecided.

Arizona Poll Shows Cannabis Legalization in Position to be Approved this November

September 7, 2016September 7, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

A new Arizona Republic/Morrison/Cronkite News poll has found that a plurality of voters in Arizona support legalizing cannabis. This is great news for proponents of Proposition 205, a cannabis legalization initiative being voted on this November.

According to the poll – which has a margin of error of 3.4% – 50% of voters in Arizona say they support legalizing recreational cannabis for everyone 21 and older. Just 39.9% are opposed to the idea, with 10% remaining undecided. Based on his poll, if the election were held today Prop 205 would be passed into law if just 0.1% of the undecided 10% of voters decided to vote in favor of it.

Arizona Supreme Court Rules Cannabis Legalization Initiative Will Be On November Ballot

August 31, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

The Arizona Supreme Court has put the final nail in the coffin (to state a cliche) of those trying to prevent a cannabis legalization initiative (Proposition 205) from being voting on this November. The highest court rejected a lawsuit by Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy calling on the initiative to be removed from the November ballot.

According to opponents of the measure, it should be removed from the 2016 general election ballot because petitions that were signed by voters left out provisions, had a misleading title, and proponents allegedly failed to be transparent about revenue sources. The court rejected all of these complaints, stating that the group behind the initiative did everything legal in gathering enough signatures to make the ballot.

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

August 19, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

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.”

Arizona Cannabis Legalization Initiative Placed on November Ballot as Proposition 205

August 10, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

Arizona officials today announced that the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol submitted enough valid signatures for their cannabis legalization initiative to be placed on the November ballot; it will appear as Proposition 205.

The group submitted 258,582 signatures at the end of June, far greater than than the 150,642 required to put the measure to a vote of the people this November, though it took until today for the state to verify that enough of the signatures were valid (from registered Arizona voters).