Arizona voters will decide on a ballot measure that would legalize the use of medicinal marijuana during this year's November elections.
If passed, Proposition 203, the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act, would allow terminally or seriously ill patients to obtain marijuana after registering with the Arizona Department of Health Services.
The measure would be more stringent than California's law, which does not regulate which types of diseases that qualify a patient for medical marijuana use, said Andrew Meyers, campaign manager for the Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project.
Some "debilitating medical conditions" that qualify under Arizona's proposition are cancer, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, Hepatitis C, severe and chronic pain, seizures and severe and persistent muscle spasms.
The project was put on the ballot after supporters collected more than 250,000 signatures. This is more than the 150,000 necessary for an initiative to be placed on a ballot.
California passed its medicinal marijuana law in 1996, and 13 other states, like Colorado, Hawaii and Vermont, followed with their own laws.
"In California you can get a physician to write [a prescription] for you for just about anything," Meyers said. "California is dealing with the consequences of passing it quickly."
One of those issues California is dealing with is the high number of dispensaries, or marijuana sellers, in the state which fills marijuana prescriptions. Some opponents of the Arizona measure say that could happen in Arizona.
Some of the opponents of the proposition have pointed to the high number of dispensaries in California and its possible effects on crime.
"There is going to be a cap on the number of dispensaries," Meyers said. "There will only be one dispensary for every 10 pharmacies in this state; a total of 124 will be allowed."
A Denver Police Department analysis determined that dispensaries of medicinal marijuana were burglarized at a lower rate than banks.
However, they also reported an increase in home invasion robberies near dispensaries. Opponents say this is a sign that a law could increase crime, said Kristin Borns, senior policy analyst for ASU's Morrison Institute for Public Policy.
The institute has been writing briefings on key November ballot propositions, and Borns authored the Proposition 203 briefing coming out next week. She said the law more closely mirrors Colorado law.
"Many have been looking to Colorado for what to expect," Borns said.
The major difference between the California law and the more strict Colorado law, according to the language of both, is the listing of qualifying diseases. While the California law does list diseases that qualify, it states that "other chronic or persistent medical symptoms" can also be considered. This leaves it open-ended for physicians to decide what is considered chronic pain.
According to the language of the Colorado law, any disease that is not on the list of qualifying diseases must first be approved by the Colorado Board of Health, creating a check on what diseases are considered serious enough to warrant marijuana prescription.
The language of the Arizona measure similarly requires that any other disease not listed in the measure be added by the Arizona Department of Health Services before the drug can be issued.
Meyers also said marijuana was much safer than many opiate-based painkillers, and has not been scientifically proven to be physiologically addictive.
It can be especially helpful for patients who have extensive liver damage and those who do not respond well to traditional medications, he said.
"People with nerve damage are loaded up with painkillers, and that leads to liver damage and they can become addicted," Meyers said. "Anything that gets them to take less of those drugs is a good thing."
Students show a wide variety of responses to the proposition.
Social work freshman Terrin Burks said marijuana should be legalized, but for medical use only.
"It could lead to other things," Burks said. "Other people could get their hands on it."
Fine arts senior Bailey Curry said marijuana should be legalized for all purposes, not just medicinal. She said marijuana helps her with psychosis and insomnia.
"It's not deadly," she said. "Whether it's legal or illegal will not stop people from using it."
She pointed to the crime and violence related to the import of marijuana from countries like Mexico.
"Legalizing it will minimize that violence and crime," Curry said.
Kelsie Shevitski, also a freshman in the School of Social Work, said marijuana shouldn't even be legalized for medical use.
"It's not a positive thing," she said. "It seems like you would be dependent on it."
The Journey Healing Centers, with locations in Scottsdale and Utah, has come out against the proposition, citing the dangers of marijuana.
Dr. Ravi Chandiramani, the corporate medical director for the centers, said any mental health professional who has treated a patient or client using marijuana will see evidence of a physiological and psychological dependence.
"Trying to get people off of marijuana, you will more often than not see some type of withdrawal," Chandiramani said.
Journey Healing Centers co-founder Lisa Lannon said that while there are some uses for medicinal marijuana in a controlled setting, it is very likely that marijuana will be abused by patients the same way other prescription pain medications are abused.
She also said making medicinal marijuana legal is the first step to making it legal for recreational use.
"In California, it was originally on ballot for medicinal pot, and now there's a movement out there for recreational use," Lannon said. "That would be the natural path for any state that wants to legalize it for medicinal purposes."
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: The State Press
Author: Yvonne Gonzalez
Contact: The State Press
Copyright: 2010 The State Press
Website: State's marijuana initiative tougher than Calif. law
If passed, Proposition 203, the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act, would allow terminally or seriously ill patients to obtain marijuana after registering with the Arizona Department of Health Services.
The measure would be more stringent than California's law, which does not regulate which types of diseases that qualify a patient for medical marijuana use, said Andrew Meyers, campaign manager for the Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project.
Some "debilitating medical conditions" that qualify under Arizona's proposition are cancer, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, Hepatitis C, severe and chronic pain, seizures and severe and persistent muscle spasms.
The project was put on the ballot after supporters collected more than 250,000 signatures. This is more than the 150,000 necessary for an initiative to be placed on a ballot.
California passed its medicinal marijuana law in 1996, and 13 other states, like Colorado, Hawaii and Vermont, followed with their own laws.
"In California you can get a physician to write [a prescription] for you for just about anything," Meyers said. "California is dealing with the consequences of passing it quickly."
One of those issues California is dealing with is the high number of dispensaries, or marijuana sellers, in the state which fills marijuana prescriptions. Some opponents of the Arizona measure say that could happen in Arizona.
Some of the opponents of the proposition have pointed to the high number of dispensaries in California and its possible effects on crime.
"There is going to be a cap on the number of dispensaries," Meyers said. "There will only be one dispensary for every 10 pharmacies in this state; a total of 124 will be allowed."
A Denver Police Department analysis determined that dispensaries of medicinal marijuana were burglarized at a lower rate than banks.
However, they also reported an increase in home invasion robberies near dispensaries. Opponents say this is a sign that a law could increase crime, said Kristin Borns, senior policy analyst for ASU's Morrison Institute for Public Policy.
The institute has been writing briefings on key November ballot propositions, and Borns authored the Proposition 203 briefing coming out next week. She said the law more closely mirrors Colorado law.
"Many have been looking to Colorado for what to expect," Borns said.
The major difference between the California law and the more strict Colorado law, according to the language of both, is the listing of qualifying diseases. While the California law does list diseases that qualify, it states that "other chronic or persistent medical symptoms" can also be considered. This leaves it open-ended for physicians to decide what is considered chronic pain.
According to the language of the Colorado law, any disease that is not on the list of qualifying diseases must first be approved by the Colorado Board of Health, creating a check on what diseases are considered serious enough to warrant marijuana prescription.
The language of the Arizona measure similarly requires that any other disease not listed in the measure be added by the Arizona Department of Health Services before the drug can be issued.
Meyers also said marijuana was much safer than many opiate-based painkillers, and has not been scientifically proven to be physiologically addictive.
It can be especially helpful for patients who have extensive liver damage and those who do not respond well to traditional medications, he said.
"People with nerve damage are loaded up with painkillers, and that leads to liver damage and they can become addicted," Meyers said. "Anything that gets them to take less of those drugs is a good thing."
Students show a wide variety of responses to the proposition.
Social work freshman Terrin Burks said marijuana should be legalized, but for medical use only.
"It could lead to other things," Burks said. "Other people could get their hands on it."
Fine arts senior Bailey Curry said marijuana should be legalized for all purposes, not just medicinal. She said marijuana helps her with psychosis and insomnia.
"It's not deadly," she said. "Whether it's legal or illegal will not stop people from using it."
She pointed to the crime and violence related to the import of marijuana from countries like Mexico.
"Legalizing it will minimize that violence and crime," Curry said.
Kelsie Shevitski, also a freshman in the School of Social Work, said marijuana shouldn't even be legalized for medical use.
"It's not a positive thing," she said. "It seems like you would be dependent on it."
The Journey Healing Centers, with locations in Scottsdale and Utah, has come out against the proposition, citing the dangers of marijuana.
Dr. Ravi Chandiramani, the corporate medical director for the centers, said any mental health professional who has treated a patient or client using marijuana will see evidence of a physiological and psychological dependence.
"Trying to get people off of marijuana, you will more often than not see some type of withdrawal," Chandiramani said.
Journey Healing Centers co-founder Lisa Lannon said that while there are some uses for medicinal marijuana in a controlled setting, it is very likely that marijuana will be abused by patients the same way other prescription pain medications are abused.
She also said making medicinal marijuana legal is the first step to making it legal for recreational use.
"In California, it was originally on ballot for medicinal pot, and now there's a movement out there for recreational use," Lannon said. "That would be the natural path for any state that wants to legalize it for medicinal purposes."
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: The State Press
Author: Yvonne Gonzalez
Contact: The State Press
Copyright: 2010 The State Press
Website: State's marijuana initiative tougher than Calif. law
