Arizona: cannabis legalization on the November ballot

While efforts to reform public drug policies in the United States have been largely stalled by the coronavirus pandemic, pro-legalization activists in Arizona have announced that they have collected enough signatures to submit their proposed cannabis legalization in the election this coming November.

The campaign Smart and Safe Arizona thus collected more than 320,000 signatures—about 80,000 more than required.

The group has until July 2 to continue gathering support, although the signature-gathering campaign has been suspended in order to curb the COVID-19 outbreak.

The project The bill to legalize cannabis in Arizona would allow adults aged 21 and older to possess and purchase cannabis from licensed retailers, up to one ounce (28 g) at a time, and to grow up to six plants for personal use.

The bill also includes several social justice provisions, such as allowing individuals who have previously been convicted of cannabis use to request the expungement of their criminal records and establishing a social equity program for the issuance of licenses.

Cannabis sales would be taxed at 16%. The resulting revenue would cover the costs of implementing legalization and would then be allocated to funds for community colleges, infrastructure, reinvestment in the justice system, and public services such as the police and fire departments.

The Department of Health Services would be responsible for regulating the program and issuing commercial cannabis licenses. It would also be responsible for deciding whether to expand the program to allow, for example, delivery services, particularly important during lockdowns.

In 2016, a measure to legalize cannabis had already been proposed in Arizona and rejected by the voters.