Arizona to vote on medical marijuana in November

From the Phoenix Business Journal:

A statewide measure allowing for medical marijuana clinics to be opened in Arizona has qualified for the November ballot.

The Arizona Medical Marijuana Project said June 1 the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office confirmed the necessary 153,365 voter signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot. If approved, the Arizona Department Health Services would regulate medical marijuana clinics in state. Patients suffering from conditions or diseases such as Parkinson’s, cancer, multiple sclerosis and HIV/AIDS would be able to buy pot for medical and pain alleviating uses.

Fourteen states including California, Nevada and New Mexico, have passed medical marijuana laws or referendums that allow for ill patients to buy small amounts of the drug, which is still illegal under federal law.

Backers of the law collected more than 250,000 signatures from voters to get the measure on the ballot including a push in front of US Airways Center in downtown Phoenix and at other concert and sports venues. The Riester advertising and public relations agency is running the campaign promoting the measure.