By Jeremy Duda | Arizona Mirror
State lawmakers are planning a bipartisan push to loosen Arizona’s marijuana possession laws, which are considered by many as among the harshest in the United States.
Possession of any amount of marijuana under two pounds is a class 6 felony, making Arizona the only state where possession of any amount of the drug can bring a felony charge. The Legislature’s ad hoc committee on criminal justice reform, a group of three Republicans and two Democrats, is crafting legislation for the 2019 legislative session that would reduce marijuana possession crimes, including for drug paraphernalia, to either misdemeanors or petty offenses, which would put them on par with traffic offenses.
Rep. Ben Toma, R-Peoria, who serves as the committee’s Republican co-chair, said groups from both the left and the right have been attending committee meetings, and there’s a broad consensus on marijuana possession.
“I really do think marijuana possession is one of those places where we can make this happen, despite objections that might be there,” Toma said.
