Marijuana advocates are starting a petition drive to recall a state lawmaker. They say Republican Sen. Kimberly Yee has held back a bill that would fund medical marijuana research for veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder.
The Obama administration recently gave permission to a University of Arizona professor to do the research. Kathy Inman is state director of NORML, a group pushing for reform of marijuana laws. She said Yee should be recalled because she’s used her position as a legislative committee chairman to prevent the bill from moving forward.
"This is her right as a legislator to use this political option. Well, our feeling was it is a daunting task but we are going to use our political option to send a message to Ms. Yee that this research is good, it’s real and it needs to be done” Inman said.
In a written statement, Yee said she has supported veterans’ programs in the past. But she said state funding is too tight for the medical marijuana study this year.
To qualify for the ballot, groups that want to recall Yee must collect more than 18,000 voter signatures from her Phoenix area district before August.