ARIZONA NEWS

Arizona is one step closer to legalizing marijuana

Sep 23, 2014, 7:38 PM | Updated: 7:52 pm

Arizona marijuana advocates have taken the first step to legalizing pot in 2016. The Marijuana Policy Project of Arizona filed paperwork with the state Thursday to get an initiative on the 2016 ballot.

“What filing the committee paperwork does for us is it allows us to solicit for and race contributions,” Marijuana Policy Project of Arizona affiliate Andrew Myers said.

The group can now begin drafting the initiative.

“At its core what we are looking to do is legalize the adult use of cannabis in a limited way by using a tightly regulated system,” Myers said.

Myers said the group has been studying states that have already legalized marijuana to see what has worked and what has not been successful. The project has indicated their initiative will be similar to those states but not exactly the same.

“We want to learn the lesson that we’ve seen from other states, particularly Colorado and Washington,” Myers said. “But also, it is very important to draft a piece of legislation that is distinctly an Arizona law.”

The Marijuana Policy Project of Arizona will begin collecting signatures once they have finished drafting the 2016 ballot initiative.

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Arizona is one step closer to legalizing marijuana