The Marijuana Policy Project has formally filed documents in Arizona to start work on a 2016 ballot measure that would legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older.
The initiative has not yet been written, but it is expected to be similar to Colorado’s Amendment 64, which voters approved in 2012.
A proponent working with the campaign in Arizona said supporters will assemble a “diverse coalition” to sift through what should and shouldn’t be duplicated from the Colorado law.
Legalization in Arizona would likely generate several hundred million dollars in sales and create hundreds of business opportunities.
Observers expect heated political opposition to the Arizona legalization attempt from the law enforcement community and possibly medical marijuana dispensary owners who have spent the last four years building their customer base. The state is currently home to nearly 100 dispensaries and 50,000 registered patients.