Community leaders including Jerry Colangelo and Michael Bidwill are urging you to vote NO on proposition 203. Known as “medical marijuana,” Prop. 203 is really about legalizing marijuana and making it widely available to everyone, including our children. “Its passage would have a devastating impact on the health and safety of Arizonans,” stated Jerry Colangelo.
Here’s more from the experts:
“Marijuana is harmful and a highly addictive substance. There is no medical indication to prescribe marijuana when we have proven safe options for treatment of medical conditions. Drugs for medical use should always be researched and approved by the FDA, not the ballot box.”
- Dr. Bruce Bethancourt, Diplomate and Fellow of American College Physicians
“It is well known that drug abuse and crime go hand in hand…our sworn duty to protect and serve our citizens compels us to take a strong, united stand against Prop 203.”
– Janice Strauss, Executive Director, Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police
“Like all drugs, marijuana affects more than the person choosing to use them. People forget the consequences that go along with using mood altering substances. We are not just talking about the legal and health related consequences. What about the family? If 203 were to pass, we are telling our youth that it is okay to be impaired.”
- Marrya Briggs, TASC, Treatment Assessment Screening Center
“Under Prop. 203, employers' hands are tied when it comes to employees who are under the influence of marijuana in the workplace, even if an employee has more of the drug in his or her system than prescribed by a medical professional. This presents some significant safety implications. We are urging a ‘no’ vote on Prop. 203.”
- Glenn Hamer, CEO, Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry
“There are many valid arguments to support a ‘no’ vote on 203. In keeping with our mission to improve the health and well being of Arizona’s children, we cannot support an initiative that makes a dangerous and highly addictive drug accessible to our children.”
- Sue Braga, Arizona Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics
Other states have passed similar measures to Prop. 203. What’s most disturbing is that youth drug use has increased in those states. Adding marijuana to the list of legally available drugs adds to the challenges parents face, andaffects the percentage of kids who will have health and other problems because of the ease of access to marijuana.
- In California, there has been an increase in crime and fatal crashes linked to its “medical marijuana” program. Researchers found that for the five years following the establishment of the Medical Marijuana Program in 2004, there were 1,240 fatalities in fatal crashes, compared to 631 fatalities for the five years prior, for an increase of almost 100%.
(Source: Crancer and Associates, 2010)
A report from the California Police Chiefs Association found:
“many violent crimes have been committed that can be traced to the proliferation of marijuana dispensaries. These include armed robberies and murders.” The report goes on to say, there is “organized crime involvement in the ownership and operation of marijuana dispensaries…including criminal street gangs.” There have been “unjustified and fictitious physician recommendations.”
- “The average age of a card-holder in Montana is 41, with one 2-year-old and 22 minors,” according to Mark Long, chief of the Montana Narcotics Bureau. Long added that people are medicating themselves at home but not staying at home. He said, “we have seen a 1200% increase in driving under the influence of marijuana since 2008, and traffic fatalities where THC is present in the driver’s blood has increased 800%.”
Our organization is compassionate toward those who are struggling with serious illness. We know that some have reported finding relief from smoked marijuana. Having said that, we know marijuana is harmful, especially to kids whose brains are still developing, and we believe that medicine should be researched, reviewed and approved through the FDA process, not referendum.
The board of directors of the Arizona Affiliate of The Partnership for a Drug-Free America supports the efforts of Keep AZ Drug Free, to defeat Prop. 203. Visit their website at www.keepazdrugfree.com for more information. In the last poll, 203 is slated to pass, so it’s important you vote “no” for the safety and health of our children and communities.
