Robert Celt
New Member
As medical marijuana patients celebrate 420 Day today, others are busy collecting signatures to get recreational marijuana on the Arizona ballot in November.
For medical marijuana patients, celebrating 420 Day doesn't mean getting stoned, said Dr. Gina Berman, medical director of The Giving Tree Wellness Center, which has two medical marijuana dispensaries in north Phoenix and Mesa.
"This is a day for patients in the state to celebrate their ability to not be criminals," Berman said. "These folks are trying to live healthier lives and better lives. They're not different from you or I. They have found a product that is helpful for them. They are not going to be criminals anymore, so it's a celebration."
Two groups are collecting signatures, hoping to garner enough support to get on the ballot so Arizona voters can decide whether they want to take the next step and legalize recreational marijuana.
If both groups manage to collect enough signatures to place both initiatives on the ballot, there's a good chance neither will get enough votes to make pot legal in the state, said Colby Ayres, co-founder of Hemp American Media Group, a Scottsdale-based national media outlet for the $5 million cannabis industry.
"If both recreational marijuana initiatives get on the ballot, it's going to divide the votes up and recreational marijuana won't get passed in Arizona," Ayres said.
But if one of them manages to pass, it will be an economic game-changer for the state, he said.
"Billions of dollars stay in the U.S. instead of going to illegal drug cartels outside of the U.S., and a lot of tax revenue would be coming in from that, which would be put back into education and infrastructure and whatever the state and federal government would want to do," Ayres said.
Last year, sales in the marijuana industry totaled $5 billion, which already is one-third the size of the $15 billion National Football League industry, Ayres said.
But Berman isn't concerned that both ballots will pass.
She said the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol already has more than enough signatures to get on the ballot, but Arizonans for Mindful Regulation doesn't have a chance of collecting enough signatures.
Berman said she supports recreational marijuana for many reasons.
For one, she said, there are several health conditions that are not included in the state's list of qualifying conditions.
She said a mother had reached out to her, wanting to get a medical marijuana card for her son, who was addicted to heroin, hoping that cannabis would help him stay away from heroin.
Because he didn't qualify for any of the approved medical conditions, he couldn't get a medical marijuana card, Berman said.
Nadeem Al-Hasan, co-founder of Phoenix-based Baked Bros, which makes THC Syrup, doesn't support recreational marijuana.
"We do believe cannabis needs to remain medical," he said. "It is powerful medicine."
Baked Bros co-founder Thomas Rimbach, said marijuana needs to be regulated better than alcohol, making it more difficult to access.
"We don't have enough cannabis to supply our patients right now, really," Rimbach said. "If we were to go recreational, it will be a very long time for them to ramp up and supply the demand of recreational."
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: MMJ Enthusiasts Celebrate 420 Day, As Ballots Collected For Recreational Pot In AZ
Author: Angela Gonzales
Contact: Phoenix Business Journal
Photo Credit: Jim Poulin
Website: Phoenix Business Journal
For medical marijuana patients, celebrating 420 Day doesn't mean getting stoned, said Dr. Gina Berman, medical director of The Giving Tree Wellness Center, which has two medical marijuana dispensaries in north Phoenix and Mesa.
"This is a day for patients in the state to celebrate their ability to not be criminals," Berman said. "These folks are trying to live healthier lives and better lives. They're not different from you or I. They have found a product that is helpful for them. They are not going to be criminals anymore, so it's a celebration."
Two groups are collecting signatures, hoping to garner enough support to get on the ballot so Arizona voters can decide whether they want to take the next step and legalize recreational marijuana.
If both groups manage to collect enough signatures to place both initiatives on the ballot, there's a good chance neither will get enough votes to make pot legal in the state, said Colby Ayres, co-founder of Hemp American Media Group, a Scottsdale-based national media outlet for the $5 million cannabis industry.
"If both recreational marijuana initiatives get on the ballot, it's going to divide the votes up and recreational marijuana won't get passed in Arizona," Ayres said.
But if one of them manages to pass, it will be an economic game-changer for the state, he said.
"Billions of dollars stay in the U.S. instead of going to illegal drug cartels outside of the U.S., and a lot of tax revenue would be coming in from that, which would be put back into education and infrastructure and whatever the state and federal government would want to do," Ayres said.
Last year, sales in the marijuana industry totaled $5 billion, which already is one-third the size of the $15 billion National Football League industry, Ayres said.
But Berman isn't concerned that both ballots will pass.
She said the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol already has more than enough signatures to get on the ballot, but Arizonans for Mindful Regulation doesn't have a chance of collecting enough signatures.
Berman said she supports recreational marijuana for many reasons.
For one, she said, there are several health conditions that are not included in the state's list of qualifying conditions.
She said a mother had reached out to her, wanting to get a medical marijuana card for her son, who was addicted to heroin, hoping that cannabis would help him stay away from heroin.
Because he didn't qualify for any of the approved medical conditions, he couldn't get a medical marijuana card, Berman said.
Nadeem Al-Hasan, co-founder of Phoenix-based Baked Bros, which makes THC Syrup, doesn't support recreational marijuana.
"We do believe cannabis needs to remain medical," he said. "It is powerful medicine."
Baked Bros co-founder Thomas Rimbach, said marijuana needs to be regulated better than alcohol, making it more difficult to access.
"We don't have enough cannabis to supply our patients right now, really," Rimbach said. "If we were to go recreational, it will be a very long time for them to ramp up and supply the demand of recreational."
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: MMJ Enthusiasts Celebrate 420 Day, As Ballots Collected For Recreational Pot In AZ
Author: Angela Gonzales
Contact: Phoenix Business Journal
Photo Credit: Jim Poulin
Website: Phoenix Business Journal
