Raising Arizona: The Battle For Legal Marijuana In The Grand Canyon State

Once again, a battle is brewing in Arizona over the legalization of marijuana. A recently-filed lawsuit seeks to halt the adult-use initiative on the ballot this November. The campaign against it has embraced fictitious information, fear tactics, and the like. Led by Smart and Safe Arizona and supported by numerous local public officials and politicians, it will stop at nothing to prevent a legitimate conversation about the facts surrounding adult-use marijuana in the United States.

This narrative is not uncommon. Especially in Arizona, where the very same effort caused the 2016 ballot measure to fail. And while this most recent attempt was defeated, there’s a lesson to be learned.

My history in crafting marijuana legislation and corresponding regulations covers more than a decade. As a cannabis policy professor at the University of Denver for over six years, I was afforded numerous opportunities to work with governments across the country and around the world. I’ve participated in countless seminars and events debating the pros and cons of marijuana legalization.

One that especially stood out was in Phoenix in the fall of 2016. At the time, Arizona Proposition 205, an initiative to legalize the recreational use of cannabis, was on the ballot. [Read more at Forbes]