Arizona Capitol Times Election Coverage Your Inside Track to Arizona Elections
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said Wednesday that she opposes a November ballot measure that would legalize medical marijuana in the state, arguing that it would cause pot to “needlessly and harmfully proliferate.”
Brewer said the measure will require the state to establish a costly regulatory system at a difficult financial time.
“Arizona taxpayers cannot — and should not — bear the cost of creating an environment in which the use and availability of marijuana will needlessly and harmfully proliferate,” she said, adding that in other states with medical marijuana laws on the books, a large percentage of approved users are teenagers.
“I will tell you compassion quickly will turn to capitalism,” Brewer said.
Arizona’s measure, Proposition 203, will go to voters Nov. 2. It would legalize marijuana only for patients with diseases including cancer, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, glaucoma and Crohn’s disease, among others, and any other “chronic or debilitating” diseases that cause continuous and severe pain, severe nausea, or seizures.
The patients must get a recommendation from their doctor and register with the Arizona Department of Health Services. They would be allowed to get 2 1/2 ounces of marijuana every two weeks, or if they’re properly authorized, grow 12 marijuana plants in an enclosed, locked area.
Supporters say patients who aren’t helped by prescription drugs shouldn’t have to choose between living in pain and buying marijuana illegally.
November will be the fourth time in 14 years Arizona voters will consider the issue.
Voters overwhelmingly approved a medical marijuana law in 1996 and 1998, but wording conflicted with federal law, blocking its enactment. Then in 2002, voters rejected a sweeping initiative that would have decriminalized possession of up to 2 ounces of marijuana for any user and required state police to hand out the drug to seriously ill people.
California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, and 13 other states and Washington, D.C., have since followed suit.
“I will tell you compassion quickly will turn to capitalism,” Brewer said.
So the uneducated, forum dodging, mush-mouthed Governor is now against capitalism?
The costly regulatory system she speaks of would pay for itself and then some by way of the revenue created from legalization…. Ive voted republican, but Brewer, your about as bright as a two watt light bulb….
I wish myself and other mmj seekers could have the chance to sit down with the govenor and havea real discussion< the goverment thinks they know and their decisions are right….wrong marijuana is already in our bodies just not enough to trace the (PLANT) releases and gives us more thc thc is used for sickness stress nausia almost anything that is worng with you it will take care of , like katt williams said take 13 asprin and your dead smoke 13 bowls of marijuana you will be hungry happy sleepy , i am mostly confused on how they dog mmj but really have no idea of what it really dose , anyone rmember the movie reefer madness? hahahah that was more like meth madness ( a friend of mine pointed this out to me ) were not gunna smoke this joint then go figure out how to get money to go get high off crack coke x meth ect.. were going to finish this joint and go back inside and finish working on this album , anotherthing is its called a “drug” no drugs are chemicals and take a process to make and it effects your body with damage pot is natural! you pick it and can smoke it no bakin soda or this and that everything on this earth was put here so we can use it as we need it and who are they to say hey you can not use pot because were moron’s and think we know whats good and bad for you.. h ya? every drug out their (phamasutical) has more of a chance hurting you than pot will ever have so the goverment ou are taxing us just to put our kife’s in jepordy weel guess what your a idiot and if mmj helps me eat 3 meals a day to keep my weight because i do not have an appitite and i feel sick everytime i eat im going to treat myself with the best non leathal way i can if you would like to have a real disscussion e mail me jdm_nate2@yahoo.com (pot is friendly its only dangerous because the world will get it either way the gov has just decided to put it in the hand of criminals because their scared people will get the wrong message well if you never placed pot in the “drug” catagory you wouldnt have that problem peace!
Brewer does not understand that for liberty to exist, the ability of self determination cannot be infinged.
It’s never been a “power” of government to restrict a peaceful persons natural right to own themself. So how did they take this right away? The way they do
everything, by initiating force. Nobody in this country is free, if people do not own their own bodies.
If a person doesn’t like cannabis, there’s one solution, don’t use it.
If a person “believes” in freedom they cannot logically hold the same belief that
it is okay for government to restrict or prevent it. Government was designed to PROTECT peaceful persons rights, not STEAL them.