Reps hit Brewer & Horne on med marijuana delay
Democrats defending the will of the voters STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX -- Read this important letter sent Friday:
ARIZONA LEGISLATURE
1700 W. Washington St.
Phoenix AZ 85007
June 10, 2011
To: Jan Brewer, Governor
Tom Horne, Attorney General
Will Humble, Director, AZ Dept. of Health Services
Dear Governor Brewer, Tom Horne and Director Humble:
We are writing to express concern about the delays relating to the implementation of the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA). Prior to receiving United States Attorney Dennis Burke’s letter, it was our understanding that you were expeditiously working towards implementing the provisions of AMMA. However, since the receipt of US Attorney Burke’s letter, you have pursued legal action which will inevitably result in unnecessary delays.
While we applaud any attempt to comply with federal law, a plain reading of US Attorney Burke’s letter establishes no reason to seek out a judicial opinion on the matter. Prosecution of state employees was never mentioned in the letter, and US Attorney Burke said himself that using his letter as grounds for a lawsuit was “disingenuous”. We sincerely hope that it is not your intent to use a federal suit to delay compliance with a law with which you disagree.
As you know, AMMA expresses the will of the Arizona voters through the voter initiative process. The Department of Health Service’s failure to begin accepting applications for dispensary licenses on June 1st, as required by administrative rule, is without legal authority and is clearly circumventing the will of the voters. A significant amount of time and money has been invested by many of these voters who have rightfully relied on the law’s timely implementation, many of whom are patients who are suffering or physicians who have made significant investments in preparing to dispense such medicine.
It is our sincere hope that you will revisit your decision to halt dispensary applications and immediately move toward implementing the law. Any action to the contrary is in clear violation of the Arizona State Constitution and will be adjudicated as such at the unfair expense of the taxpayer.
Sincerely,
Representative Daniel Patterson
District 29
Representative Matt Heinz
District 29
Representative Catherine Miranda
District 16
Representative Bruce Wheeler
District 28
Representative Macario Saldate
District 27
Representative Sally Ann Gonzales
District 27
Representative Lela Alston
District 15
Representative Ruben Gallego
District 16
ARIZONA LEGISLATURE
1700 W. Washington St.
Phoenix AZ 85007
June 10, 2011
To: Jan Brewer, Governor
Tom Horne, Attorney General
Will Humble, Director, AZ Dept. of Health Services
Dear Governor Brewer, Tom Horne and Director Humble:
We are writing to express concern about the delays relating to the implementation of the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA). Prior to receiving United States Attorney Dennis Burke’s letter, it was our understanding that you were expeditiously working towards implementing the provisions of AMMA. However, since the receipt of US Attorney Burke’s letter, you have pursued legal action which will inevitably result in unnecessary delays.
While we applaud any attempt to comply with federal law, a plain reading of US Attorney Burke’s letter establishes no reason to seek out a judicial opinion on the matter. Prosecution of state employees was never mentioned in the letter, and US Attorney Burke said himself that using his letter as grounds for a lawsuit was “disingenuous”. We sincerely hope that it is not your intent to use a federal suit to delay compliance with a law with which you disagree.
As you know, AMMA expresses the will of the Arizona voters through the voter initiative process. The Department of Health Service’s failure to begin accepting applications for dispensary licenses on June 1st, as required by administrative rule, is without legal authority and is clearly circumventing the will of the voters. A significant amount of time and money has been invested by many of these voters who have rightfully relied on the law’s timely implementation, many of whom are patients who are suffering or physicians who have made significant investments in preparing to dispense such medicine.
It is our sincere hope that you will revisit your decision to halt dispensary applications and immediately move toward implementing the law. Any action to the contrary is in clear violation of the Arizona State Constitution and will be adjudicated as such at the unfair expense of the taxpayer.
Sincerely,
Representative Daniel Patterson
District 29
Representative Matt Heinz
District 29
Representative Catherine Miranda
District 16
Representative Bruce Wheeler
District 28
Representative Macario Saldate
District 27
Representative Sally Ann Gonzales
District 27
Representative Lela Alston
District 15
Representative Ruben Gallego
District 16
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