As November 3, 2010 dawned, the electoral fate of the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA) was officially too close to call. The "No" side on Proposition 203, the voter initiative that made the AMMA law, held a 6,000-vote lead. More than a week later, when all the votes were counted, the "Yes" side led by fewer than 5,000 votes.
By November 29, just 27 days after the last vote was cast, the Prop 203 victory was certified as official. Marijuana would be legal for medical purposes in the state.
Upon the anniversary of the AMMA's passage, the AMMA's fate is just as much up in the air, and it does not appear that a resolution will come anywhere nearly as quickly as the 27 days it took to tally the vote with finality.
In the October 27, 2011 issue of the monthly Phoenix New Times, Ray Stern offers a fine summary of the recent federal attacks on the medical marijuana industry in an article titled, "Obama's War on Weed: In a strange about-face, the President tries to hack medical marijuana off at the knees." As this post was written, it was the most popular story on the Phoenix New Times website.
Phoenix New Times sells ads to the medical marijuana industry, and discloses that fact in the article. It is a Village Voice publication, and its perspective is decidedly liberal. The article's take on the politics -- partisan and not -- rolled up in the medical marijuana debate makes it an entertaining read no matter your political stripe.
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