In defiance of President Donald Trump, two prominent Arizona Republicans say they oppose marijuana redistricting and are committed to recriminalizing the sale of adult-use marijuana.
Arizona is the third state, along with Massachusetts and Maine, where a voter campaign sponsored by an anti-legalization group proposes to end adult trafficking.
Legal cannabis in Arizona is a billion dollar market with sales in 2024, the latest data available, reaching $1.2 billion.
Will Arizona repeal adult marijuana sales?
As the Tucson Weekly reported, the “Sensible Marijuana Policy Act for Arizona” would end the adult-use industry but leave the sale of medical marijuana intact. That’s similar to proposals gathering signatures in Massachusetts and Maine.
Not yet allowed to begin collecting signatures, the initiative’s sponsor is political consultant Sean Noble. He receives funding from Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), reports the Weekly.
SAM, a dark money nonprofit, also supports measures to recriminalize cannabis in Massachusetts and Maine.
In interviews with Marijuana Moment, US Attorney Andy Biggs and US Attorney Paul Gosar expressed support for decriminalizing adult sales and cast doubt on decriminalizing cannabis under federal law.
Both are right-wing MAGA Republicans who have enjoyed the president’s endorsement.
Trump Republicans don’t like Trump’s pro-marijuana push
The undisputed leader of the Republican Party, Trump lashed out at members of his own party, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, when he issued the executive order on Dec. 18 which ordered marijuana to be placed in Schedule 3 of the Controlled Substances Act.
Gosar supports the marijuana decriminalization bill, and told Marijuana Moment that he hopes to ask the president to reconsider marijuana regulation.
In addition, Gosar said that the unregulated cannabis industry does not comply with the rules and “rejects all methods and regulations.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi has yet to act on the executive order, which ordered her to reclassify marijuana “as expeditiously as possible.”
Biggs, who told Marijuana Moment that he “likes to support” the repealed bill, added that he is opposed to the repeal because cannabis users may need social benefits.
Repealing Arizona’s senior sales, which began in 2021, could be the biggest boost yet.
The repeal effort will need to collect nearly 256,000 signatures by July 2026 to qualify for the November 2026 ballot.
Massachusetts’ cannabis crackdown survives allegations of fraud
In Massachusetts, where SAM Action Inc. has donated a total of $1.55 million in support, an effort to shut down the latest challenge fueled by allegations of fraud.
On Jan. 22, the State Election Law Commission rejected a Boston attorney’s attempt to compel county election officials to conduct an investigation.
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As reported by MJBizDaily and other outlets, voters in Massachusetts say campaign workers tricked them into signing the petition.
Such conduct is an activity protected by the First Amendment, courts have ruled.
