2010 Medical Marijuana Ballot Initiative Planned in Arizona

Backed by the Marijuana Policy Project, medical-marijuana advocates in Arizona plan to submit a ballot proposal to the state that would legalize marijuana for medical use, the Arizona Republic reported April 18.

The measure would allow Arizona residents suffering from illnesses like cancer and AIDS to purchase up to 2-1/2 ounces of marijuana every two weeks from a state-licensed dispensary, and also allows residents of rural areas to grow the drug for their personal medical use.

Arizona residents voted as early as 1996 to legalize medical marijuana, but the initial ballot initiative was thwarted by state lawmakers. In 1998, state voters rejected a ballot item that would have required that the federal government or Congress approve medical use of marijuana before Arizona doctors could prescribe the drug. In 2002, voters rejected a marijuana decriminalization question that would have given the drug free to medical users.

Backers of the latest question need to gather 153,000 voter signatures to get it on the 2010 ballot.