It was a close one, Arizona, but thanks to the passage of Proposition 203, people with certain serious illnesses and chronic pain can qualify for legal medicinal use of marijuana.
Around this time next year, or earlier, we can expect marijuana dispensaries to pop up all around the state, and, according to a Q&A with State Health Director Will Humble, published in the East Valley Tribune, there’s even a possibility that smoking pot in open places like a park or street corner may be permissible.
In a state where voters have kept Sheriff Joe Arpaio in office for the past 18 years, and where legislation like SB 1070 has been cranked out, the general feeling surrounding the results of the Proposition 203 vote has been one of surprise.
But this is not the first time Arizona voters have OK’d medical marijuana use. It’s not even the second. Similar propositions to 203 passed in both 1996 and 1998 but were shot down due to poor wording that conflicted with federal law. Really though, the entirety of Proposition 203 conflicts with the federal laws that prohibit the use, possession or sale of illegal drugs. As is the case in the first 14 states to legalize medical use, state files and databases are still subject to search by the federal government at any time. So this time, writers of Proposition 203 were careful to cut back on the possibility of loopholes or abuse within the system.
Under the proposition, patients with cancer, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C and other chronic illnesses or severe pain could be prescribed up to 2.5 ounces of medical marijuana every two weeks. The Arizona Department of Health Services also plans to keep very tight control over seeds distributed to growers, to ensure that those growers sell their product to state-licensed dispensaries at state-sanctioned prices.
Clearly, if ADHS is willing to count and keep track of individual pot seeds, they are definitely going to be paying attention to who shows up for a prescription.
Soon after Election Day, results came in quickly and in a one-sided fashion in the three other states with pot-related propositions. Even California’s Proposition 19 failed fairly overwhelmingly. Disappointed advocates point to a missing demographic that would’ve been crucial in the push for total legalization, and unfortunately it was the youth.
Legislation was also turned down most severely in counties that currently profit heavily on the market for illegal marijuana (much of which is in Arizona), and would have a lot to lose from complete legalization of its lucrative product.
For once, Arizona has shown a bit of its less-Republican side. The thing is, marijuana legalization is really an issue of governmental control and something that a conservative or libertarian cannot get along with. So don’t be mistaken, with the loose gun laws and immigration haters, Phoenix is not destined to be the next San Francisco.
Let’s all remember that this race was down to the wire; a scant 4,341 votes out of 1.67 million were enough to pass the proposition, according to unofficial results released by the secretary of state. Public perception, as well as existing laws for those not permitted to use legally, is still unbendingly harsh. Thankfully, we still know how to blur party lines just enough so that sick people can get their hands on a natural care that works.
Think your illness should have made the cut? Send Sarah your opinion at swhitmir@asu.edu
