Doug Ducey doubled down, defending doobie deniers at an anti-marijuana summit in Atlanta April 20.
A group called Smart Approaches to Marijuana hosted a national event on the stoner sabbath to talk about how much they love hating weed.
One of the attendees, former director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Gen. Barry McCaffrey even said, “Medical marijuana is sheer poppycock.”
Do we really need to ask at this point? We will anyway: what is he smoking?
Either through willful ignorance or perhaps a coma, McCaffrey must have missed the proven medical benefits of marijuana that have come to light since he last held the office in 2001.
At least 20 years ago the anti-marijuana organizations were more accurately named; “National drug control policy” is much closer to their agenda than “safe approaches”.
Per the usual talking points, the SAM event took issue with children accidentally consuming marijuana due to colorful packaging and the appeal of edibles.
But this argument always falls a bit short of success. Which of us hasn’t accidentally taken a swig of our parent’s whiskey because, to a child, it looks a bit like watered-down Coca Cola?
It reminds me of a story my cousin likes to tell about the time his infant daughter accidentally got a little drunk off a bottle of fermented breast milk that had been lost in the crib for weeks. (Full disclosure: she’s now a beautiful, happy, young woman loved and supported by her family.)
Where’s the national coalition against fermented breast milk?
While SAM President and CEO Kevin Sabet expressed a few palatable concerns about the marijuana industry focusing on “profits over people” and a “punitive war on drugs,” the point of the summit was clear.
“We’re not giving up, folks,” he said. “We’re doubling down. This is about money now.”
He’s not wrong about that.
Ducey applauded the efforts—I mean cold, hard cash—of SAM in the efforts to defeat Prop 205 last November.
Sure, few in the cannabis community were really excited about Prop 205—some even say it was the opposition from within that condemned the proposition—but there’s no denying that out-of-state interests played a large part in its battle.
Arizona was a battleground for marijuana interests last November as national organizations poured millions of dollars into the fate of marijuana in the state. This is indeed now about money.
But luckily, according to Ducey, there is a raft of bills headed through legislature right now to make sure that doesn’t happen again. Hooray!
Several bills and referendums have been shoring up the voter initiative process making it more expensive to pay signature gatherers, increasing the likelihood of fines for initiative organizers and giving legislature more power to change the ballot measure should it pass.
How exactly does this keep out national, multi-million-dollar special interests? Ducey was as confused about the answer as I was.
“Fortunately, Arizona is a place where common sense still can work,” Ducey said at the 4/20 event.
I agree, Mr. Ducey.
Common sense would say making the ballot initiative process more expensive and more difficult would hinder the ability for common people to influence the state’s laws.
Common sense would say a lot of people who donated to Ducey’s campaign also donated to the campaign against Prop 205, for which Ducey raised money.
Common sense would say something smells slightly skunky here, and it’s not the pot.
This article appears in May 4-10, 2017.
Really, We’re haggling over something that should have never been outlawed, to begin with. Driven by corruption, racism, protectionism and a skewed perception related to Blacks & Mexicans & employment opportunities. Facts being, No One Has Ever Died Consuming any form of this plant. It has Health Properties that no other natural plant possesses. National Legalization is a Massive Benefit to The Planet & People, All other life forms, especially The Environment as a Whole. The Descent comes from the corrupted, the invested and businesses that will see their profit margin drop. What We All Need To Ask Is, What Is Best For The Planet & Life?
Well reading and tripping/medicating good article going down memory lane.. prop-205 it stunk in so many ways the composting is taking a long time.
Alcohol prohibition, When the federal government realized it could not pass a law that stopped fermentation. However lets take a look at the power behind the 18th and the 21st amendment. Both were the same group of wealthy women. The “Womens Christian Temperance Union” (WCTU) Women like Pauline Sabin who some say was the voice behind the repeal of he 18th amendment and the Volstead act. Pauline Sabin Wife of a investment brokerage banker her father a Bank President. Can we ponder how we might apply that today? Can you say Ivanka if she wants to become a political figure in the future her stand is more important now than ever. As well as McSally’s in a very Blue county and town.
It appears that what is needed is a amendment to repeal the schedule one. Is there really any target left but that repeal of schedule 1. We can list the social inequities the the medical indifference the judicial misconduct. All of those are firmly in place with Schedule 1. I believe the solution to the repeal or a amendment doing so can be done with Women. Women dont need any more burden put on them raising families and paying all the indirect of the War on drugs.
There will be no quasi legalization of Marijuana in Arizona that does not include decriminalization. There will be no more” heads I win tails you” lose propositions like 205. Let me sand only us few in the market and go ahead and still over prosecute and seize. Which that power has been severely curtailed by this legislature.
With the repeal of Schedule One great things will rain like tasty goodies from a Pinata.
Looking at the recent Federal Budget that passed last week. Haven’t had a budget for 6 of the 8 years under Obama. The Republican Congress continued to pass a bill on Marijuana prosecution. This is the same continuance of funding that the REPUBLICAN congress has added for the last 3 legislative sessions.
In short no monies can be spent on the investigation prosecution to state medical marijuana programs. California just rolled out it’s 221 page guideline to legalization. Just how much of the hmm good for the people and education taxes are going to go up in smoke in innumerable ways ?
We are going to see a storm of prosecution in the states that went legal. There will be no thanks the user of marijuana or the powerful inside minority that saved the ignorant, from this like of rape and pillaging of the marijuana industry that is about to happen.
Arizona has found it’s self in a unique position. A reasonable and somewhat accountable on all fronts state Medical MMJ program. There is huge room for new frontiers new opportunities new discoveries.
For this to happen we have learned to dodge the Robber Barons that disguise them selves as compassionate empathetic humans of dubious medical understanding. Or the understanding journalist who takes grandma to the DR. can see the operation and thinks they now can report on the MMj industry with knowledge. What is even worse these journalist are swimming like guppies waiting for chums of Governmental tidbits thinking they are of value with pool info and not knowing the difference or caring.
In short the Robber Baron of today are Government civil servants it’s commission and contractors. That is the whole and the sole reason of prop 205. To build a new commissioning department with no court oversight and fantastic police and procedural prosecutorial powers all hiding under the BS Bill Clinton legal raping of the country call civil seizure to promote police on the ground policy that gave us Ferguson and other ugly cull the citizens for cash Policing.
Ramzi Eid Masarweh Nick Meyers: I consume medicinal marijuana every day just so you don’t mistake me for the crowd you write about in this article and I have to take exception with one point. Eating all of a six portion pot candy, like a child is likely to do, has put adults in paranoid hysteria and fear; not remotely like the mild alcohol intoxication, you compare it to. Yes, it’s unlikely that permanent harm will come of this physically, but the jury is still out on the psychological effect on a child of a massive pot overdose due to the concentrations available these days.
Due to the permit process, all the medical card holders are already on a list through their pharmacies; so persecution -ah- prosecution of users will be facilitated.