LAW ENFORCERS ASSAIL POT EFFORT

Urge Arizona Voters To Reject Proposition 203

More than a dozen law enforcement organizations united against Arizona's
latest marijuana ballot initiative Tuesday, saying well-financed
advertisements supporting the measure have misled voters in an attempt to
tug at their heartstrings.

"It has been marketed as medical marijuana proposition. This is not true,"
Phoenix Police Chief Harold Hurtt said. "It is the decriminalization of
marijuana for everyone, to include those who would expose this drug to our
children."

Leaders of the police organizations, which represent about 20,000 active
and retired officers throughout the state, said they want voters to know
the truth about Proposition 203.

The Nov. 5 ballot measure would require the Arizona Department of Public
Safety to distribute the drug for free to those carrying a doctor's note.
And it would decriminalize possession of small amounts of the drug.

Police and prosecutors say it would also lessen the sanctions for those who
use dangerous drugs.

"This proposition has very little to do with medical marijuana and
everything to do with the legalization of all illegal drugs," said Roger
Nelson, chief criminal deputy with the Yuma County Attorney's Office. "For
all practical purposes, Proposition 203 would legalize heroin,
methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana."

However, backers of the proposition disagree, saying it would instead give
judges greater flexibility by removing mandatory sentences for those drug
crimes.

"There's no logic in them saying this lessens the punishment for drug
offenses," said Dr. Jeffrey Singer, a Phoenix surgeon and proponent of the
proposition. "They're just trying to scare people. They have a vested
interest in locking people up. That's what they do for a living."

DPS Director Dennis Garrett also voiced concerns about his department,
which is facing budget cuts, finding the funds to distribute the marijuana
and test it to ensure it's safe. DPS would either hand out confiscated
marijuana, buy it from a federal research program or allow users to grow up
to two plants.

"It's just wrong," Garrett said. "There are three or four very, very
wealthy individuals who are pushing this particular type of legislation
change across the country . . . and I'm very concerned what they're trying
to do here with their 30-second sound bites."

More than $1 million has been spent promoting the proposition. Supporters
say the initiative has safeguards. Patients would be given a state-issued
card that entitled them only to get as much as 2 ounces of marijuana a month.

Arizona voters approved a measure allowing marijuana with a doctor's
prescription in 1996 and 1998, but lawmakers effectively rejected it by
putting prescribing doctors at risk of losing their licenses.

"Please take the time to read (the initiative)," Phoenix police Cmdr. Joe
Klima said. "This has a devastating effect on our community and our children."