Arizona Medical Marijuana Law Up in Smoke?

Pardon the pun but I couldn’t help myself after reading today’s opinion piece about the Arizona medical marijuana law by EJ Montini in the AZ Republic. In his article Montini uses the Sky is Falling metaphor in regards to this weeks announcement by 13 County Attorneys in opposition of the voter approved law. He is playing off on his prior article which referenced numerous Drug Culture phrases and which Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, or his PR guy, make references back with the term ‘half baked’.

In this article he talks about the unfounded fears that the County Attorneys have over state employees being in danger of arrest by issuing dispensary licenses. In another universe this might be a valid concern but the reality is that in all of the other states that have issued these licenses not a single state employee has ever been charged under the federal controlled substances act. Montini points out that in fact the U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesman Bill Solomon has stated that: “Specifically, the Department of Justice is focusing its limited resources on significant drug traffickers, not seriously ill individuals and their caregivers who are in compliance with applicable state medical-marijuana statutes.”

So whats the deal here? Are the Arizona officials really concerned with state employees well being or is this political? Montini argues that based on Brewer’s past record of stating her displeasure with the voter approved law that we should then see this as political.

In an amusing twist Montini also points out that this is quite the 180 from Brewer’s tough talk regarding the Feds and SB1070: “Never during our nearly 100 years of statehood has federal interference in … Arizona affairs … been more blatant …”

In the meantime remember that Marijuana is a controlled substance and you can still be arrested for possession in Arizona.

What do you think?