AZfmr’s Campaign to LEGALIZE and Regulate Marijuana (I-14-2016)

Vs.

MPP’s Campaign to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol

(I-08-2016)

                   

Why our Initiative to Legalize and Regulate Marijuana is COMPLETELY different:

 

1) Our initiative reduces the criminal penalties for Possession of Marijuana beyond 1 Ounce but less than 8 ounces, Possession of Marijuana for Sale involving less than 8 Ounces, and Cultivation of Marijuana involving less than 99 plants, to Misdemeanors instead of Felonies.

2) Our initiative does NOT allow the Department of Marijuana Licenses and Control to take control of and amend the MEDICAL Marijuana Program Regulations.

3) Our initiative allows each adult to grow 12 marijuana plants and possess any amount of marijuana that was produced by those plants, with no limit on the amount of plants that can be cultivated per household.

4) Our initiative defines what a “Marijuana Plant” is, which specifies that a marijuana seed (which could be found in a Marijuana Bud) does not count as a growing marijuana plant.

5) Our initiative only imposes a 10% Tax on Marijuana sales.

6) Our initiative allows a “Licensed Marijuana Cultivator” to sell marijuana AND marijuana plants to a “Licensed Marijuana Retailer,” and a “Licensed Marijuana Retailer” to sell marijuana AND marijuana plants to consumers.

7) Our initiative allows a consumer to legally possess 1 Ounce of any form of Marijuana, which includes marijuana concentrates. (We have defined marijuana concentrates as “Marijuana” in our initiative.) Our initiative does NOT limit a person to possessing only “5 grams of Concentrated Marijuana.”

8) Our initiative does NOT allow a City or County to ban marijuana growing and personal marijuana use just because they feel it is a “nuisance” to a considerable number of people.

9) Our initiative does NOT allow a City or County to limit the amount of Marijuana Establishment licenses that may be issued by the Department of Marijuana Licenses and Control.

10) Our initiative does NOT allow a City or County to limit or outright ban marijuana establishments. However, the voters may choose to ban Marijuana Establishments by way of referendum or initiative in a General Election. (The PEOPLE must vote to prohibit marijuana businesses.)

11) Our initiative does NOT allow the Department of Marijuana Licenses and Control to regulate businesses who deal in “Marijuana Accessories”, such as Smoke shops and Hydroponics-Grow stores.

12) Our initiative does NOT allow a City or County to enact zoning regulations for businesses that deal in Marijuana Accessories, like Smoke shops and Hydroponics-grow stores.

13) Our initiative places no limit on the amount of Marijuana Establishment licenses (Marijuana Cultivator, Marijuana Product Manufacturer, Marijuana Testing Facility, and Marijuana Distributor) that may be purchased and issued by the Department of Marijuana Licenses and Control.

14) Our initiative REQUIRES that the Department of Marijuana Licenses and Control “SHALL” issue an amount of Marijuana Retailer licenses equal to the amount of Series 9 Liquor Licenses currently issued in Arizona. The other initiative only requires the Department to issue Marijuana retailer licenses to existing Medical Marijuana dispensary owners, and states that the Department “MAY” issue Marijuana Retailer licenses equal 10% to the amount of series 9 liquor licenses, but is not actually required to do so by law. (As was the case with the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act.)

15) Our initiative strengthens the legal language surrounding marijuana related DUI. (No more automatic DUI just for having marijuana in your system)

16) Our initiative includes employee protections which state that an Employer is not required to allow Marijuana Possession or Marijuana Consumption in the workplace, but that an Employer may not terminate, refuse to hire, or otherwise penalize an employee for testing positive for marijuana metabolites or for participating in any conduct that is allowed under this chapter.

17) Our initiative removes any language that explicitly makes it a crime to grow marijuana without the property owner’s permission. A property owner may still choose to prohibit marijuana cultivation on their property, but if a tenant violates that agreement it is treated as a violation of the lease agreement, rather than a violation of state law.

18) Our initiative imposes fines on Marijuana Establishments who use pesticides and additives on marijuana or marijuana plants that would make the marijuana injurious to a person’s health.

19) Our initiative includes a provision that states that when determining the total amount of marijuana that a person possessed, a court must separately consider each individual offense and not consider the aggregate amount of marijuana possessed in cases that are consolidated for trial.

20) Our initiative states that anyone sentenced pursuant to a violation of this act shall not be subject to a loss of public benefits.

21) Our initiative includes strong language to explicitly state that the odor of marijuana is no longer probable cause for a Police Officer or Canine Officer to search a person or property or to obtain a search warrant from a judge or magistrate.