RICK ROMLEY WANTS TO DEBATE PUBLICLY ON NOV. MEASURES RELATING TO MARIJUANA

Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley is challenging University of Phoenix
founder John Sperling to a public debate over the merits of two November
ballot measures related to marijuana.

Sperling is backing a measure that would require a state agency to hand out
marijuana to the seriously ill, let people cultivate up to two plants and
carry small amounts of the drug without fear of harsh prosecution.

Romley is promoting a measure that would allow judges to send first- and
second-time drug offenders to jail if they refuse treatment. He is harshly
critical of Sperling's measure.

"We are going to have every guy in the world coming to Arizona because he
can get pot free," Romley said.

Not so, asserted medical marijuana proponent Sam Vagenas, arguing that the
distribution of the drug would be overseen by the Arizona Department of
Public Safety.

"It's preposterous. It's a complete exaggeration," said Vagenas, a
spokesman for the People Have Spoken, the group pushing the marijuana
measure with the help of Sperling.

The debate over medical marijuana has been playing out in Arizona and
across the nation for years.

Opponents say the real objective is to legalize drugs. Proponents argue
that marijuana could benefit people with serious health problems and that
it saves taxpayers money by treating offenders instead of jailing them.

Vagenas said Sperling will respond to Romley's challenge to debate him at
the appropriate time, after the measure becomes certified by the secretary
of state.

If Sperling has his way, anyone who can prove a medical illness could get a
monthly amount of marijuana from the state. Also, anyone caught with 2
ounces or less of marijuana would escape a felony charge and instead be
slapped with a civil violation punishable by no more than $250.

Alternatively, Romley is trying to repeal a provision of a 1996 voter-
approved law barring judges from sending first- and second-time offenders
to jail. He argues that there is no way to force offenders to complete the
required drug treatment.

If Arizona residents pass both measures, the one with the most votes
becomes law. But that rule applies only to any conflicting sections of each
measure, a state election official said.

The 1996 law allowed marijuana to be used for medical purposes with a
doctor's prescription. But state lawmakers have effectively nixed the
practice. That's why the new measure is necessary, Vagenas said.

"Prosecutors have scared doctors and threatened patients," he said. "This
measure creates a formal program."

The proposed law would mandate the creation of a medical registry card
system authorizing the drug for those with serious health issues. Anyone
with a doctor's recommendation or who can produce copies of his or her
medical records showing a disabilitating health condition could get a card.

Some Valley residents have said their own experiences support the need for
the marijuana measure.

"I'm standing on my feet because of marijuana," said Josh Burner, a Mesa
resident who has been using the drug since the mid-1990s when he was
diagnosed with cancer.

"Marijuana helps me regain my appetite," said Burner, who is backing the
marijuana measure. "It doesn't eliminate cancer, but it makes it more
bearable."

Alfredo Gutierrez and Richard Mahoney are the only gubernatorial candidates
thus far supporting the marijuana initiative.

"Drug abuse is primarily a disease and must also be fought through medical
treatment," wrote Democratic candidate Gutierrez for the November publicity
pamphlet.

Mahoney, an Independent, said he is supporting the medical marijuana
measure because it ensures safety for everyone, including doctors and patients.

Romley said he is disappointed about Mahoney's and Gutierrez's stand on the
issue and hopes to change their minds.

"We also believe in treatment," Romley said. "Our measure requires drug
treatment with the possibility of jail time."