Data from a recent survey conducted by Behavior Research Center shows over half of Arizona residents support full legalization of marijuana. Could Arizona become a marijuana friendly state like Colorado and Washington?

In recent years, nationwide polls have shown the growing support for marijuana legalization. In 2011 a Gallup poll reported that over 50% of Americans support marijuana legalization and medical research. But now the support is growing larger on the state level pushing cannabis politics to be taken seriously.

In Arizona the Behavior Research Center asked respondents if they favored or opposed legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use. Shockingly in this predominantly conservative state, 56% responded they favored the idea and only 37% were opposed. The data was collected from all counties, all age groups and demographics. (See Poll Results Here)

“It is perhaps ironic that as support for same-sex marriage and defelonization of marijuana have long been albatrosses which conservative candidates could hang around the necks of some of their moderate or liberal challengers, Continue Reading...

Arizona gets a new tool to fight against dangerous synthetic drugs in the form of a new law signed by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer.

A year after President Barack Obama signed a federal law banning synthetic drugs, Arizona officials strengthen their currently flawed law on such drugs as Spice, K2 and other known synthetic substances.

Brewer announced Wednesday that she is backing the legislation that would expand the state's definition of dangerous drugs, and law enforcement officials are relieved.

The law will also increase the minimum fine of selling or manufacturing dangerous drugs from $1,000 to $25,000. Law enforcement officials say the current law has very little impact on the distribution of Spice and similar chemical substances, because the small fine is worth the business, and minor chemical changes can be made to stay ahead of the law.

The law includes chemical configurations that make up synthetic drugs to the states current definition of dangerous drugs, making it harder for distributors to sell these substances without facing serious charges.

Synthetic marijuana alone still continues to claim lives, which brings to question current laws against real cannabis and it's safe history.

David Joseph

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A Florida man is facing charges and possible prison time for growing medical strength cannabis for his severally ill wife.

Robert and Cathy Jordan have been medical marijuana activists for almost 20 years, fighting for patients rights after Cathy was diagnosed in 1986 with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

The couple had tried everything to treat Cathy's illness, and as she got worse they decided to try a more controversial approach, medical marijuana.

“If there was something else I could use, I would use it,” Robert said. “She has used everything they tried to prescribe to her, but nothing works.”

Except the cannabis did, and the Jordan's finally had some hope for their future. Robert began growing high quality cannabis at home for his wife's personal use. Cathy was originally given only about five years to live, but using medical marijuana to treat her illness she has prolonged life almost 20 years.

But Central Florida News 13 reports that sheriff’s deputies raided the couples home last month seizing over 20 marijuana plants, grow equipment and what was left of Cathy's personal medical supply. Now Robert is facing illegal drug charges which include a possible 5 years in prison, all this because he wanted to care for his wife.

“It’s no different than them coming into your house and kicking in your front door and taking your cancer medication,” said Robert. “This is life and death for us. If she doesn’t have it, she starts getting sick. Now what am I supposed to do?” Continue Reading...

State lawmakers from Nevada are on a quest to fix a loophole in their medical marijuana program, patients can get cards from the state, however there's no way to legally get it.

According to CBS-5 Phoenix, Nevada state officials toured Arizona Organix in Glendale Friday on a mission to gain insight into what could be done to fix the silver state's flawed program.

"You can get cards from the state," said Nevada State Senator Tick Segerblom. "If you know how to do it, you can grow it. But, the reality is, you can't purchase it. We wanted to come somewhere very small, very tightly regulated and learn first-hand how it works."

Five Nevada senators and an assemblywoman met with Bill Myer, co-owner of Arizona Organix, to discuss the ins, outs and legal hurtles of Arizona's medical marijuana system. The officials feel the Arizona standard and the well managed state dispensary can significantly help in finding a solution to their states problem.

Myer told CBS-5 he's honored other states consider his dispensary the current gold standard, and he was more then glad to help.

Nevada officials begin voting on dispensary bills in April. Segerblom said he hopes to see dispensaries open in Nevada within six months if his bill passes.

Nevada voters approved a medical marijuana amendment back in 2000.

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The synthetic marijuana known as "Spice" maybe seeing it's last days Arizona. State lawmakers have started to take action against the synthetic drug considering it's dangerous record.

Two bills were introduced on Monday by a Senate committee targeting synthetic marijuana. The bills work in effort to make it harder for people to obtain and use Spice.

The Associated Press reports, One bill would prohibit businesses with liquor licenses from selling synthetic marijuana. This would remove the known dangerous substance from local liquor and convince stores limiting the ease of purchasing it. However this will have little effect on tobacco and smoke shops.

The other bill will allow the state to expand the definition of dangerous drugs to include synthetic marijuana. The bill would also increase the minimum fine of selling or manufacturing dangerous drugs from $1,000 to $25,000. State officials say the current law has very little impact on the distribution of Spice, because the small fine is worth the business, and minor chemical changes can be made to stay ahead of the law. Continue Reading...

A city wide ban is responsible for shutting down one of Colorado's first cannabis coffee shops for patients to use their medical marijuana.

The Front Tea and Arts was a place where adults were able to gather in nice atmosphere to vaporize and use cannabis. The business would sell and serve drinks and snacks while providing a relaxing place to patients and later cannabis users to go and medicate in a controlled environment.

The establishment is now forced to shut down after the Lafayette City Council voted to pass an eight-month moratorium on all marijuana-related businesses. Now many residents and patients are forced to feel like outcasts with one less place to go to medicate and celebrate their culture, but plenty of bars serving alcohol are still in business. Continue Reading...

A state lawmaker seeks to add new regulations on medical marijuana in Arizona with new bills that could make dispensing harder, and lead to the destruction of personal and local business property.

Sen. Kimberly Yee, R-Phoenix, is proposing two bills to tighten the grips around Arizona's medical marijuana program. She wants local dispensaries to add warning labels on edible cannabis products such as brownies and lollipops similar to the U.S. surgeon general’s warning labels on cigarettes. This is her solution in an effort to keep these products out of the hands of children, as if these warning labels keep cigarettes and alcohol out of the hands of our kids now.

Most can agree that a label stating to "Keep out of reach of children" is a good idea, however suggesting a "surgeon general’s" type warning could just continue the myth that marijuana is as dangerous as cigarettes, which is not the case in the slightest, especially on edible marijuana products. What exactly is there to warn about concerning health, "May suppress pain and slow the growth of cancer"?

Some feel that more suitable labeling would be more like that of a prescription medication, adding a more official medical appeal to the drug for it's intended purpose.

The other bill would give police the right to dispose of medical marijuana seized during criminal investigations rather then returning the property to it's owner. Currently police hold plants and prescription marijuana until a court requires them to return it to the patient or business that owns the legal drug. But under the new bill, police will be able to destroy the personal property of these individuals at their own discretion if passed.

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Police arrest an owner of two compassion clubs at his home and seized over 120 medical marijuana plants after serving several warrants. Tempe police say the the businesses were operating illegally.

39-year-old James Earl Chaney was arrested at his residence after police bust two valley compassion clubs and a grow house seizing over 120 marijuana plants intended for card holding patients. Chaney is the owner and operator of Top Shelf Hydro College where a series of several warrants were served for illegal drug sale among other drug related charges.

According to The Associated Press, undercover detectives were able to purchase large amounts of marijuana at one of the Tempe locations, which is in violation of state law.

"They were saying it was for donations, but when our undercovers would go in, there was a price they had to pay, for quantity and for quality. There was a different price for each one," says Tempe Police Sgt. Mike Pooley.

There has been no word yet on whether or not the undercover police presented medical marijuana cards, which would valuable to know when deciding as society the legality of the situation.

But most mainstream media sources and police have left out this detail. Local ABC 15 even reported on continued violence at the business siting a recent robbery at the location, which isn't much different then the thousands of gas station, bank and liquor store robberies that happen nationwide every year.

The only "so called" violence reported by local businesses about the operation were about the presents of the police during the bust.

"One of my patients said she was afraid to get out of her car," said Dr. Alejandro Mioni of Arizona Chiropractic Group, a near by business "There was a man wearing a gun and a bullet-proof vest, and she was just afraid of him." Continue Reading...

Marijuana maybe legal in Colorado for all adults, but good luck finding a place to purchase your cannabis in some counties. Douglas County just became the first county to out right ban commercial pot operations, and others are considering to follow.

According to the Denver Post, anti-marijuana communities are taking action against commercial marijuana shops in their county. Douglas County is the first to quickly decide against stores opening their doors in the community. The ban on recreational marijuana businesses will take effect Thursday regardless of the new law and the money generated by cannabis businesses.

"That's a revenue source that we're not interested in having here," said Douglas County spokeswoman Wendy Holmes.

Holmes also added that a board did consider the financial benefits of pot shops, but continued against them anyway. Douglas County residents voted against marijuana measures four times in the past 12 years, including Amendment 64 which makes it legal for all adults over 21 in the state to possess up to an ounce of marijuana.

The measure lost in the county 54 percent to 46 percent Continue Reading...

It's been a long two years since Arizona voters approved medical marijuana for their residents in need. Now the doors are finally opened to the states first medical cannabis dispensary.

Arizona Organix opened their doors Thursday morning as the first operational medical marijuana dispensary in Arizona. They were met by several dozen patients lining up to obtain their medication. The line wrapped around the building at the Glendale location were the first of 96 applicants chosen through a lottery from 126 geographic areas across the state.

The establishment conducts business with a professional approach and atmosphere. It is set up like a doctor's office with a waiting room, a front desk and room to meet with a medical marijuana professional and a variety of medication. Consultants privately discuss the ailments with the patient to help determine which strains will treat their conditions best.

"I've been waiting a long time for this," said Charles Everett, a chronic pain suffer and medically approved marijuana patient, "It's a great day for Democracy."

Dispensaries have been blocked from opening up in Arizona for over two years due to the issue being tied up in courts, the issue was regarding the federal stance on marijuana. State and Maricopa County prosecutors attempted to wrongfully argue that federal laws trumps state laws, however last week a judge founded on the side of the people and cleared the path for Arizona Organix and other dispensaries across the state to open. Continue Reading...