By Paulina Pineda, Alison Steinbach | Arizona Republic
Cities across metro Phoenix are limiting where residents can use and purchase recreational marijuana in their communities in the weeks since voters overwhelmingly approved legalizing the substance in November.
The actions won’t stop the sale of recreational marijuana in cities that enact restrictions, but they could limit options for customers. Residents can still use and grow marijuana inside their home or other private spaces.
Most new regulations seek to ban smoking or consumption on city property, in parks and at other public places. Proposition 207, which legalized recreational marijuana, also prohibits smoking in public places where smoking tobacco is banned under the Smoke-Free Arizona Act, such as airports, health care facilities, entertainment venues, restaurants and shopping malls.
The reactions to the passage of Prop 207 limiting the potential for new marijuana businesses we are seeing from some municipalities is unfortunate. The new law legalizing recreational marijuana could create thousands of new jobs and generated hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues at a time when our state desperately needs it. Pro industry advocates should engage with qualified counsel to lobby against these archaic restrictions.
Adam Trenk, Rose Law Group Partner, Cannabis, Hemp and Equine Depts. Director
