Two proposals are being pushed by Republican state lawmakers that would make it harder for medical marijuana patients to access their medication.
Both want to amend the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act to limit which types of doctors can issue referrals for medical weed, establish stricter restrictions on who can get those referrals, and require patients to get new referrals more often, according The Associated Press (the article was originally posted on KJZZ’.org).
Rep. Kelly Townsend, R-Mesa, introduced House Bill 2061, which would remove pregnant women from the list of patients who qualify for medical weed. But she’ll most likely need three-fourths of votes in the state House and Senate to amend the law, because the Medical Marijuana Act is a voter-approved initiative, AP says.
The proposal by Rep. Jay Lawrence, R-Scottsdale, would remove physicians who practice alternative medicine like naturopathy and homeopathy from the list of doctors who can issue medical marijuana referrals, “leaving only doctors of medicine and osteopathy,” AP says.
It also would set requirements that qualifying patients acquire a new referral every six months, instead of once a year like they do now.
Figures from July 2015 say that more than 87 percent of medical marijuana referrals come from naturopaths and homeopaths, according to a report by the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Lawrence introduced his measure as a bill and as a House Concurrent Resolution, meaning it would only become law if enacted by the voters. That way, HCR 2019 can become law without needing three-fourths of the votes in both houses to pass in the Legislature.
J.P. Holyoak, president of the Arizona Dispensary Association told the AP that he questions the legality of the bills. Also, he says, the state’s medical marijuana industry has proven to be successful, and new laws trying to cripple it are “unnecessary and counterproductive.”
“It’s disappointing to see some legislators are trying to roll back a voter-approved law that is helping tens of thousands of seriously ill Arizonans,” Holyoak told the AP in an email. “Our state should focus on moving forward, not backward.”
As of December, roughly 88,000 people in Arizona are registered medical marijuana patients, the AP says.
This article appears in Jan 14-20, 2016.
While “Medical Marijuana” is effective in treating some medical conditions; Muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis, Nausea from cancer chemotherapy, Poor appetite and weight loss caused by chronic illness, such as HIV, or nerve pain, Seizure disorders, and
Crohn’s disease, its’ use for Medical purpose should be supported by Scientific evidence, including Clinical Trials, and regulated by the FDA; closely monitored by the tending Physician and State Department of Health.
This Drug should be available by Prescription only ; issued by a Licensed Physician; available in a Pharmacy, and closely monitored by both the tending Physician and State Department of Health.. These “Marijuana Dispensaries” should be closed.
This is purely prohibition rearing up its ugly head in a different disguise. Making medicine easily available is what is needed. This is the GOP driving the car in reverse.
Francis Saitta;……….. Well you have hit the nail study and evaluation against market forces.
There are several market forces contending for the Marijuana dollar. While I wont get into the civil servants claim on monies to the Marijuana Dollar. From investigation prosecution incarceration counseling probation……….. NOW they would like to add market control licensing new police on and on and on saying this is for the Children!!! lmfao….. For education it didn’t happen with Indian gaming, the lottery, cigarette tax, but this is different we will regulate to make sure the money gets there lmfao.
let’s get to the medical that are against MMJ. The June 17 JAMA 2013 did a peer review at the University of Arizona in regards to diabetes type 2. The summation of the review done at over 20 of the highest research universities in the country Columbia Vanderbilt, to name a few. Done with over years of back case study on all types of Marijuana users over a 15 to 20 year period of data collection .
The summation of this study in relation type 2 diabetes was . Marijuana use in therapy of diabetes and related complications. Is not if but when. Now you have a huge 70 billion annual diabetes market and another 40 billion in research lost wages. All of tis money going against study of Marijuana. The Emperior has no clothes MMJ proposal called “legalize like Alcohol” keeps both of these blood sucking society dividing entities are what you are asking to protect us. WHY if you build they will feast
Francis Saitta; Let us remember DR parker head of the CDC during Reagan’s time. This protectorate of the public trust sat on the valid report that they had isolated the HIV virus in France. Dr. Parker also copy wrote his own version of the process to isolate the HIV virus essentially netting him .025 % on all tests using his formula. Which essentially was the only test the CDC would accept. So these PEER research validation groups are as hungry for fame and riches and the DEA in Asset seizures.
The time has come to ask ourselves as citizens of this country. Has the prevention and cure become worse than the ailment ?
When you have the richest country in the world spend the biggest amount of their annual assets on health care. And that country rates 41 in quality of care in the world yea something is wrong with the PEER review pharmaceutical system as with the confiscation and seizure laws. Neither have much confidence when a dollar is not in question profit or loss the public be dammed.
The GOP huh I doubt that……….. When you have MOM FORCE AZ and Joe Arpaio out promoting the passage of “Legalize Like Alcohol” the passage of new prohibition standards for MMJ. You have this legalize campaign going through the retirement communities asking for passage. It seems to me the donkey is behind the cart looking for a elephant to park the cart behind.
I believe this story is an attempt to promote support of “Legalize Like Alcohol” by dressing up the Wolf to look like “Little Red Ridding Hood”. Then helping to look for the wolf. Why don’t we just pass a law that the compensation that is received by a medical script writer cannot be paid by a dispensing agent or associated with. I bet 75% would be gone take out the profit and the money take out the graft and the corruption. My pharmacist cant write me prescriptions or is very limited and they cant employ a doctor to channel prescriptions to one pharmacy or the other so why do we let dispensaries pay for prescriptions? And help with the paper work of filing I don’t see my pharmacy doing my insurance enrollment work so why should a dispensary unless they have a medical practitioner’s license or better. I don’t see pharmacies doing price fixing your able to shop even over the internet for the best value and product Alcohol included.
Yea this is a story of a thief hiding out in the alley saying come here little one it’s only candy you can trust me come on down here I will show you what a boogy man looks like so you can be warned.
The big “problem” some are having with medical marijuana is some people will use it “recreationally.” This is better called “personal” use. Apparently, creative professions benefit from some cannabis inspiration.
Science, and widespread experience, have shown marijuana is not addictive and has no significant harms for adults. No one has ever died from consuming marijuana. In that respect, it’s safer than aspirin, coffee and peanuts!
Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska have already crossed over from the chaos to enlightenment, forming the four Free States. Their skies haven’t fallen. – California and some others will join them in November. That will bring the collapse of the crumbling fraud of federal marijuana prohibition, as soon as 2017.
Polls show a growing majority of Americans want to end the insane war on marijuana consumers. – The sooner all accept this reality and stop the destructive witch-hunt, the less pain (and expense) there will be.
Colorado has compiled of market analysis related to it’s legalization of marijuana. I will post the link from the Co. state government.
In this study compiled over 5 years of open active recreational Marijuana. What the study concludes is that 13.6% of the population use Marijuana regularly and of those 13.6 of the population that use Marijuana 82% consume about 87% of the available product. The main concern for the user on CO is price not quality. Thats for the tourist to drop his dollar on. legalize before you go to this “Department of Marijuana” personally i like the status quo for the time being. If you don’t like prosecutors preying on the population elect a different prosecutor.
here is the study of the Colorado Marijuana Market;
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/Market%20Size%20and%20Demand%20Study,%20July%209,%202014%5B1%5D.pdf
WE ARE GOING TO LEAGLIZE IT THIS YEAR !!!!!
I misquoted the colorado study of the population 13.6% consume marijuana of that 13.6 group 29% consume 87% of the Marijuana.
If you take that number as an average with the population of AZ that would be about 97,000 which is close to the issued medical marijuana cards. Seems like it is being managed right now. We need to better legalize we don’t need MPP’s Department of Marijuana or “Legalize like Alcohol” which is neither
The most dangerous aspect of cannabis consumption is running afoul of lazy law enforcement looking for soft targets instead of fighting real crime.
The truth is Cannabis has been in use worldwide for over 5,000 years. We know what it does, we know what it is good for and we know the issues with using it. Cannabis at its very worst is much safer and less damaging to the user and society than the current legal alternatives.
Alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceutical drugs are directly responsible for KILLING over 650,000 US citizens annually plus another 21,000 TRAFFIC DEATHS from alcohol and pharmaceutical intoxication. Cannabis has never killed one person from toxic intoxication and has almost no statistical history of traffic problems. It is therefore, complete nonsense to apply laws and restrictions to cannabis more stringent than what are applied to booze, pills and cigarettes. It is also clear that prohibitionist laws against cannabis have nothing to do with relative consumer safety.
Legalize, regulate and TAX NOW!
@carpet bager – Your posts were somewhat convoluted. – Are you saying you would prefer the present prohibition over some specific form of legalization you apparently have some problem with? – Sorry, but that doesn’t make sense. – Please clarify.
John Thomas, You think I am convoluted don’t make sense to vote for something you don’t know. Just what we want to do and we will come up with the rules later that makes sense really? , may I suggest watching Safer AZ where they debated with the AZ head of Normal on the issues pertaining to this proposal. 20 year Cannabis attorney discusses the problems and paradoxes with this “:Legalize Like Alcohol” I have watched Arizona politics for over 6 decades now I see how things work the GOV build a board to write rules that end up becoming it’s own entity of need. In this proposed there are just to many rules to be written to know what you are voting for. This is a power grab by a few and Law enforcement to keep the current in place with a layover of new prohibition. I don’t favor prohibition of any kind. however I favor the status quo over the proposed MPP “Legalize Like Alcohol” which is another layer of prohibition on top of what we have now. $30,000 annual growers license. $25,000 dollar testing license fees. Taking over control of grow shops, taking over control of smoke shops. Local ordinances can control these we don’t need a department of Marijuana to do this. taking over control of hemp and licensing fees to do this this is a commodity plant such as soy corn wheat cotton etc. We don’t need a department of marijuana to do this either.
Then there is the hands out for the monies already spoken for and not a penny will be allocated in the proposal to medical research just enforcement and HMMM education. Why I say this is bad …This means under MPPs law
– 1 oz of marijuana will be legal to carry, 1.1 to 2.5 oz will be a misdemeanor, 2.6 oz will be a felony arrest.
– 5 grams of concentrates will be legal, 5.1 grams will be a felony arrest.
– 6 plants will be legal, 7 plants will be a felony arrest and if your plants combined weighs more than 2 pounds you are getting MANDATORY prison time. Until the cities prohibit home cultivation then even 1 plant will be a felony arrest.
– Selling 1 joint of unlicensed marijuana will be a felony arrest.
About hemp from the proposal itself,,,, 36-2854. Power and duties of the Department
A. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOPT RULES PURSUANT TO TITLE 41, CHAPTER 6 THAT ARE NECESSARY OR CONVENIENT TO CARRY OUT THIS CHAPTER.
1. THE DEPARTMENT MAY ADOPT AND ENFORCE RULES TO REGULATE ANY PRODUCT SOLD BY A MARIJUANA RETAILER THAT WAS PRODUCED BY A MARIJUANA ESTABLISHMENT, INCLUDING PRODUCTS MADE FROM INDUSTRIAL HEMP.. WHY on the hemp????
UNTIL SEPTEMBER 1, 2021, THE DEPARTMENT MAY NOT ISSUE MORE MARIJUANA RETAILER LICENSES THAN TEN PERCENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SERIES 9 LIQUOR LICENSES ISSUED BY THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF LIQUOR LICENSES AND CONTROL. wrong where did this come from limiting business why the 10% rule why?
here is the fold of the Medical into the department if passed and the medical then will not be under the department of health services it will be under the board that will license certain studies and only allow a few to play making a monopoly with tax and police enforcement the motivators here they get to keep the monies it goes right into the departments account.
C. NOTWITHSTANDING CHAPTER 28.1 OF THIS TITLE, BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 1, 2017, ALL AUTHORITY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES MAY HAVE TO ADMINISTER AND ENFORCE CHAPTER 28.1 OF THIS TITLE IS TRANSFERRED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF MARIJUANA LICENSES AND CONTROL. ALL RULES ADOPTED PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 28.1 OF THIS TITLE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES SHALL BE ENFORCED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MARIJUANA LICENSES AND CONTROL UNTIL THEY ARE AMENDED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MARIJUANA LICENSES AND CONTROL PURSUANT TO TITLE 41, – Amended to what this is BS
@ John Thomas the differences between Colorado Oregon Washington laws as opposed to AZ’s not near as many mandatory felonies. Colorado set up a state run banking system for the Marijuana community and the taxation is under the department of revenue, the distribution and point of sale are under the Department of Liquor. The hemp is under the department of agriculture. And municipalities are free to restrict marijuana businesses. Similar to Oregon, Washington is different and having problems. So why do we need another layer of government that we already have. Does not make sense please clarify. As you attest to whatever poll you read
“Polls show a growing majority of Americans want to end the insane war on marijuana consumers. – The sooner all accept this reality and stop the destructive witch-hunt, the less pain (and expense) there will be. so a new layer of prohibition makes since?
>>>”In this proposed there are just to many rules to be written to know what you are voting for. This is a power grab by a few and Law enforcement to keep the current in place with a layover of new prohibition. “
Simply nonsense. I have been to Washington state, which is easily the worst legalization, and would be worse than Arizona’s. – Consumers there are THRILLED with their new freedom and certainly don’t feel they have another prohibition. – They are changing the worst parts and will soon have legal home grows. – Marijuana reform is about ending the war on consumers – period. – The temporary growing arrangements are unimportant, and will evolve rapidly into a national market after legalization.
@ John Thomas: I will refer you to an attorney 20 years experience in Arizona writing Marijuana and defending Marijuana laws he doesn’t not seem to concur with your opinion. “http://saferarizona.com/safer-dave-attorney-explains-cannabis-law-illusion-bad-cops-glovebox-lawyer/
I have a son that live in North Bend Washington. Has an office in down Town Seattle I go there twice a year on the way I visit my 2 sisters in Eugene Ore. I think they have a different opinion and my brother in Law runs a dispensary in Grants Pass. I have shown all of the the proposed initiative being put forth in AZ to them. They all tell me I hope this doesn’t pass it would be bad for the industry. If you remember Oregon rejected the first proposal and to heavy handed. Washington soon will have grow rights and you believe this is progress. Why were not grow rights included to begin with Ore and CO. both rejected these proposal in their proposal why should Az take less?
Maricopa is the only county prosecuting first time small amounts of marijuana as felonies. Make simple possession under an ounce a misdemeanor on a state Title 13 Criminal code and this whole legalization will show a whole new face ugly. I can post what other tell me, what I think others want but I cant speak for others. I am not a self appointed soldier of progressive thinking. This Idea that something will evolve if we pass this is disneyland with out the rides or the characters just a cardboard facade. So tell me if this is going to be national why are we building a new department that controls 15 different retail type business’s. Take agriculture grab of commodities why does the proposed Department of Marijuana need to get into farm industrial hemp no reason whatsoever.
This department is set up for one reason and one reason only to make money. It wont protect children or educate them. 40 million to education after the department is built which is 1.6% of the AZ education budget. this department is set up to run interference with the profiteers of the Marijuana industry.
For an instant wind the clock forward in the world you have stated that will evolve you can grow your own in time (LOL). So now AZ tax’s marijuana and only allows a few to grow for the market. This will be with heavy state license fees dispensaries fees testing fees. This is set as a base price of say $5.00 a gram tax applied before any other costs will be attributed. Then the cost to grow distribute point of sale say another $5.00 a gram total cost to get a gram to market $10.00. Now as you say National trend is to legalize INTERSTATE COMMERCE wont allow states to limit the amount of tobacco or alcohol that can be sold in one state or another. I can go to any state and buy a pack of Marlboro’s or bottle of Jim Beam and purchase it state tax will be added but it will be available. I can say if the feds change the laws on Marijuana I will NOT patronize Arizonian dispensary that supported MPP as I do now. I believe it is a travesty in the making to pass laws to protect peoples uncontrollable market with heavy fines and prison terms.
With all of these will other states & countries be able to import to Arizona? Will I be able to go and buy a pack of Willie Nelsons at say a liquor store that others states allow. The Imperial Valley in Ca. and AZ with the weather and climate can produce enough to supply the whole country with out costly lighting the carbon footprint from a gram is astronomical if grown inside. This is just bad proposal we can do better this doe not have to be the one
>>>”it would be bad for the industry.”
Only in your warped, myopia. – But most importantly, marijuana reform is NOT about the growers and sellers. It’s about freeing consumers – period. – When you lose track of that truth, you become just another prohibitionist.
Logic dictates the end-game of marijuana sales will be marijuana sold wherever beer and wine are, probably behind the counter next to the Marlboroughs. The different forms the “industry” takes until that day are insignificant and irrelevant. – Consumer freedom trumps everything.