The Smart and Safe Arizona ballot initiative that could legalize marijuana for adults 21 years and older in Arizona has quickly gathered more than 300,000 signatures, well surpassing the required amount to get listed on the ballots in November 2020. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the campaign has suspended any further signature gathering efforts.

“The campaign has over 300,000 signatures which is well over the required number,” Eric Chambers from the campaign told AZmarijuana.com. “For the health and safety of everyone, we have suspended signature gathering for the time being but are in good shape.”

The campaign has to submit the signatures to the Arizona Secretary of State for approval before July.

Most of the signature gathering was done in front of Arizona dispensaries and at various mega stores like Target and Wal-Mart where individual signature gatherers asked passersby if they’d like to sign and support the initiative.

Key facts about the initiative:

– legalizes marijuana possession and use for persons 21 and older
– allows home cultivation of up to 6 cannabis plants at an individual’s primary residence (up to 12 plants if two adults reside there)
– establishes over 100 recreational marijuana dispensaries
– marijuana will be sold with a 16% excise tax (a rate lower than most other legal states)
– decriminalizes many marijuana-related offenses

People and businesses can donate to the campaign. The donations will, in part, help the campaign promote the initiative to Arizona voters and combat propaganda by anti-marijuana groups.

In 2016, an initiative attempting to legalize recreational marijuana in Arizona failed 48.23% to 51.77%. This failure was primarily due to pro-marijuana Arizonans vying for multiple initiatives instead of compromising on the most popular initiative that had the best chance of winning. If all the voters had joined forces, the initiative would have passed and adults in Arizona could have been enjoying legalized recreational marijuana for the past few years.

Hopefully, Arizonans will join forces this November to vote for the Smart & Safe Arizona ballot initiative.

Photo: Ted Eytan/Flickr CC2.0 Modified