4/20 from p 16 officer at Mint Cannabis, told Phoenix New Times. In a similar fashion, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York proposed a draft legislation last summer to tax, regulate, and remove marijuana from the list of controlled substances. Last November, Republican U.S. Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina introduced her own bill to federally decriminalize marijuana and let states choose whether to legalize marijuana. “Between the previously passed MORE Act, the recent Senate proposal by Leader Schumer, and this new bill, it is truly a race to the top for the best ideas and smartest approaches to responsible reform,” former NORML Political Director Justin Strekal said in a November blog post. It’s hard to argue with Strekal. Working through and presenting multiple iterations of the process of legalization will only result in a more precise and thorough outcome. A 2019 study by The British Medical Journal showed that to develop a better approach to decision-making, researchers taking an iterative approach by involving stakeholders, collecting data, and drawing on past information is important to solve any problem. Musicians, fashion designers, and software developers alike use this method to move from conception to production. Now cannabis policymakers are using it to find the best possible outcome for cannabis’ future. “The federal classification of marijuana has gotten in the way of people doing legitimate and really necessary research on marijuana,” says Sarah J. Clark, a research scientist in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Clark believes the lack of data is stifling industry innovation, saying, “We’re behind because people have been prohibited from studying it.” Right on cue, last month Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz, and California Senator Dianne Feinstein worked together to pass new legislation to expand scientific and medical research on marijuana and its compounds, including CBD. “The medical community agrees that we need more research to learn about marijuana’s potential health benefits, but our federal laws today are standing in the way of us finding those answers,” Schatz said in a press release. Some bills have fallen flat, like Arizona Speaker of the House Russell “Rusty” Bowers’ attempt to create a new department of marijuana regulation. It stalled without a hearing, raising questions about why it was even introduced. Another bill, sponsored by Republican State Representative Joanne Osborne, is attempting to curtail marijuana advertising near schools, among other provisions. This is the second time the bill has been proposed in the legislature after receiving only 18 of the necessary 23 votes in the 30-member Senate last year. The newest version of the bill would require three-quarters of the House and Senate’s approval to become law, which is an unlikely outcome. Last Friday, 26 social equity license holder names were called to fulfill an opportunity of a lifetime. These determined few represent the future of an “The federal classification of marijuana has gotten in the way of people doing legitimate and really necessary research on marijuana.” Milk Photography/iStockPhoto industry with growing pains, eager for improvement and opportunity. “For Arizona, I would like us to have one thousand manufacturers and one thousand cultivators employing one hundred thousand people, producing all kinds of products across the state,” says Downing, founder of the Marijuana Industry Trade Association. He believes that growth is accomplished when everyone who cares about the future of cannabis tries to make a difference in their own circles and communities. 18 APRIL 14TH– APRIL 20TH, 2022 PHOENIX NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | NEWS | OPINION | FEEDBACK | CONTENTS | phoenixnewtimes.com
