Arizona anti-marijuana campaign going to ‘great lengths’ against legalization
PHOENIX Opponents of the campaign to legalize recreational marijuana in Arizona filed a lawsuit Monday asking a judge to bar the initiative from the November ballot.
Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy argue that marijuana legalization backers are deceiving voters while pitching the measure.
The motion seeking a preliminary injunction alleges that the petition sheets distributed to voters for their signatures are invalid because they omit information about the initiatives full effect.
The suit was brought by 13 groups and individuals including Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery and Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk.
Election officials still are verifying whether the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol submitted the 150,000 valid signatures needed to qualify for the ballot. The group says it collected more than 250,000 signatures and submitted the petitions June 30 to the Arizona Secretary of States Office.
Polk said the signature gathering process failed to comply with Arizonas constitutional requirements to such an extent that it amounts to a fraud on the voters.
Montgomery, also in a statement, said he was concerned by the changes the initiative would make to DUI laws and its effect on safety and communities.
J.P. Holyoak, chairman for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, said the lawsuit allegations are a desperate attempt to deprive Arizona voters of the right to decide the question.
Our opponents are ...
