Arizona Supreme Court Says Probation Can't Stop Medical Marijuana Users
Published on 4/8/15
This week the Supreme Court ruled that citizens on probation can now legally smoke medical marijuana as long as they have their medical card. The Arizona Political Director for Marijuana Policy Project says this is groundbreaking, and now patients are finally being treated as such and have the right to their own medicine. A recent poll shows that 45% of respondants think marijuana should be legal for those 18 and up, while only 42% only agree with medical cannabis.
Last year, Pew Research Center concluded that a slim majority of Americans — 52 percent — favor pot legalization. Twenty-three states and D.C. permit medical marijuana use, and 76 percent of doctors say they would prescribe it to patients. But there are still significant barriers to accessing and dispensing medical cannabis, not the least of which is the fact that the federal government has dubbed marijuana a Schedule 1 drug with no medical benefits. As a result, insurers choose not to cover it, making prescriptions financially cumbersome.
