Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer isn’t very popular in medical marijuana circles these days. It’s no wonder: She did, after all, single-handedly put the state’s nascent MMJ industry on ice by halting the permit process for dispensaries just as it was scheduled to begin. The fate of Arizona’s medical marijuana industry is now in limbo, and it could be for quite a while. Before making any decisions on MMJ, Brewer has said she will wait for the outcome of a lawsuit filed by the state’s attorney general demanding that the federal government clarify its position on the issue.
While the move has prevented dispensaries from opening, the state is still issuing cards that allow patients to use and grow medical pot on a limited basis. To date, roughly 13,100 cards have been issued.
That rubs some people the wrong way, most notably Carolyn Short, who heads an organization called Keep AZ Drug Free. Short wants the governor to halt the process of issuing patient MMJ cards as well, according to the Arizona Daily Star. Short says it’s hard to justify allowing patients to obtain cards given that the state has stopped the dispensary licensing process.
Fortunately for patients, the governor said the health department will continue to process applications for cards. But don’t go cheering her just yet: Brewer is still opposed to the legalization of medical marijuana, and many pot supporters think her decision to halt the licensing of dispensaries and the ensuing lawsuit against the federal government is an attempt to crush the industry.
