Recreational marijuana use for those 21 and older may become legalized in the State of Arizona with legislation announced in a joint press release by Rep. Mark Cardenas, D-Phoenix (District 19), and Rep.Todd Clodfelter, R-Tucson (District 10).
The dynamic duo introduced House Concurrent Resolution 2037 (HCR2037) that sends a ballot measure to voters that would allow legalized marijuana of one ounce or less for personal use and allows for the cultivation of not more than six marijuana plants in the State of Arizona.
This resolution prohibits the consumption of marijuana in public and does not allow users to drive under the influence. This legislation also establishes an excise tax on the sale or transfer of marijuana.
“The voters sent us here to do our job. They have clearly indicated that they want society to move toward the acceptance of marijuana. In other states, it’s paying for the rule assessment of hospitals, schools, roads, and we need that funding here,” Cardenas said in the joint press release.
According to the duo, this legislation provides regulations for businesses that sell marijuana and includes requirements for applications to operate a marijuana business. However, it does not prohibit employers’ ability to have policies restricting the use of marijuana by employees. This legislation allows local government to prohibit the operation of marijuana businesses in their communities and does not limit the rights of medical marijuana patients and dispensaries under the Medical Marijuana Act.
According to Clodfelter in the joint press release, “I believe that marijuana legalization is an eventuality in Arizona. As a Legislature, we need to decide if we want that effort imposed through a potentially poorly-crafted initiative or if we want to help write a law where we can fully vet each measure, weigh feedback from stakeholders, and build flexibility into the system in case changes are needed. The voters will ultimately have the final say on our legislation and will be better served by legislative involvement on this issue.”
“Truth is not conservative or liberal it is just the truth”™
Dear Reader,
In today’s media environment, there are few publications that Americans can rely on to learn the “other” side of the issue regardless of the side.
The Arizona Daily Independent is a dedicated team of Citizen Journalists and subject experts solely funded by the financial support of the general public.
- We serve millions of readers annually
- We do not accept government funds
- We do not run pop up obtrusive advertising
Please subscribe or advertise to ensure we can continue to provide the Arizona Daily Independent.
If you rely on the Arizona Daily Independent for news and analysis on key issues, please take one minute to help make a difference. Thank you.
“Truth is not conservative or liberal it is just the Truth”™ click here to support.