Voters perusing the ballot pamphlet ahead of the November election will find arguments from the Arizona Public Health Association both for, and against, legalizing recreational use of marijuana.
Board member Will Humble said the organization sees some benefits if the measure passes, like less drug trafficking-related violence. But then there's the fact that making marijuana more available means more impaired driving and a higher possibility that more teens get their hands on the drug.
The former state health director said the key to whether the measure makes sense from a public health perspective will be how a new state regulatory agency the initiative would set up writes the rules for the sale and use of the drug. For example, Humble said it would be a crime to sell to those younger than 21. "But you could also do things in the administrative rule so that if somebody gets caught selling to somebody under 21, there's a huge sanction and your license is at risk," he said.
And Humble said if the measure is approved, voters should watch how the new agency adopts rules for things like advertising and even dosages. Humble said submitting arguments for the brochure, which is mailed to the homes of all registered voters, fits the health association's mission. "Our goal isn't to persuade voters. It's to inform voters," he said.
And to do that, he said, required putting arguments in both the pro and the con sections of the brochure. "If they're already for it, they're probably just going to read the 'pros.' Or maybe they'll just read the 'cons.' But we wanted to be in both places," he explained.
It remains to be seen if voters ever get the last word. Foes are trying to convince a judge the initiative wording is flawed and does not meet the legal requirements to be placed on the November ballot.