Election 2020: Arizona cannabis legalization initiative guide
Latest news on Prop. 207, the Smart and Safe Arizona Act
Proponents of Prop. 207 hold a strong lead according to the latest polling data. In a Suffolk University/USA TODAY Network live-interview poll of 500 likely Arizona voters taken Sept. 26-30, 45.6% of respondents said they planned to vote in favor of adult-use legalization, while 34.2% were opposed.
A large block of undecided voters could still swing the election, though. Roughly 20% of the state’s voters remain uncommitted either way.
Legalization measure
Read the full text of the initiative here: Prop. 207, the Smart and Safe Arizona Act
Medical or recreational?
Recreational
What the latest polls say
Proponents of Prop. 207 hold a strong lead according to the latest polling data. In a Suffolk University/USA TODAY Network live-interview poll of 500 likely Arizona voters taken Sept. 26-30, 45.6% of respondents said they planned to vote in favor of adult-use legalization, while 34.2% were opposed and 20% remain undecided.
What the law would do
The Smart and Safe Act would legalize the possession of cannabis for Arizonans 21 years or older, and create a market for regulated sales. Furthermore, it would require that fixed amounts of tax revenue be allocated to various education, public health, and public safety programs.
Campaign sponsors
- Smart and Safe Arizona is a citizen-led initiative.
- Strategies 360 is running the campaign. Former Rep. Chad Campbell and political consultant Stacy Pearson are leading the charge.
Local legalization advocates
Local legalization opponents
- Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy
- Arizonans for Health and Public Safety
How many stores would be licensed?
The Act calls for the licensing of about 160 retail cannabis stores in the state. The majority of the licenses would go to the pre-existing 130 licensed medical dispensaries. The state would allocate 26 additional social equity licenses, and a handful of new licenses in rural counties that currently fewer than two medical dispensaries.
Would marijuana be taxed?
All retail cannabis products would be subject to a 16% excise tax, in addition to the state’s preexisting sales tax.
5 things to know about the proposed law
- Adults will be able to possess 1 ounce of marijuana (with no more than 5 grams of it being marijuana concentrate)
- “The law limits home cultivation to 6 plants at an individual’s primary residence and 12 plants at a residence where two or more individuals who are at least 21 years old reside at one time.”
- Employers will have the right to maintain a drug (and alcohol)-free workplace.
- The state cannot consider rule changes to allow for delivery services until January 1 2023.
- “Beginning on July 12, 2021, people convicted previously of possessing less than an ounce of marijuana or six or fewer plants or paraphernalia can petition to have the record expunged.”
Current cannabis law in Arizona
- The Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA) was approved by voters in 2010.
- $700 million in estimated medical marijuana sales in 2020
- 220,000 patients as of December 2019
Quotes from legalization advocates
- “It will qualify [for the ballot], and it’s inevitable that Arizonans will legalize adult-use marijuana.” – Stacy Pearson, spokesperson for Smart and Safe Arizona
- “Arizonans are ready to legalize cannabis and this is the right policy for our state…New jobs and revenue are even more critical today than when we embarked on this campaign last year.” – Steve White, president, Arizona Dispensary Association
Quotes from legalization opponents
- “Despite the assurances of marijuana proponents, more harm than good will result from legalization…The potential consequences of legalization are severe, ranging from an uptick in workplace accidents and lower overall workplace productivity, to jeopardizing our workforce development efforts, to costs that come with drug treatment and rehabilitation…We’re already navigating a global pandemic; we don’t need to put even more stress on the public health system.” – Garrick Taylor, senior vice president of government relations and communications for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- “I think there’s a lot here to worry about. If you have a vote that says it’s OK to use it, I think those kids who might be on the fence might be more likely to say ‘The voters say it’s a good thing to have, it can’t be bad for us.’ I think it makes it more legitimate in the eyes of a teenager.” – Robert Leger, spokesperson for Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy
Support legalization by registering to vote
Read more about Arizona on Leafly
- As legalization heads to the ballot, Arizona mourns a beloved leader
- Arizona, Nebraska advocates turns in signatures to put legalization on the ballot
- The battle for Arizona: A special episode of The Roll-up podcast
- Arizona legislature opens with a flurry of cannabis bills
Max Savage Levenson likely has the lowest cannabis tolerance of any writer on the cannabis beat. He also writes about music for Pitchfork, Bandcamp and other bespectacled folk. He co-hosts The Hash podcast. His dream interview is Tyler the Creator.
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