PROP. 203 POSES MOTORIST RISKS

Editor:

In Arizona, it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle, aircraft or
motorboat with the presence of marijuana components in your system -
that is, unless Prop. 203 passes.

If Prop. 203 passes, medical marijuana cardholders will be able to
test positive for marijuana and still drive a car, fly a plane or
operate a boat. There is no measurement for impairment with marijuana
such as there is for alcohol (BAC).

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse and other studies,
the negative effects on memory, learning and motor coordination can
last 30 days or more. This means that people may assume they are safe
to drive or operate an airplane or heavy machinery even when they are
still mildly or moderately impaired. Arizona law enforcement officers
will have their hands tied.

Marijuana supporters state that traffic deaths have not increased in
other medical marijuana states. This is just not true. A recent study
in California revealed that fatal crashes involving marijuana
increased 100 percent during the five-year period following passage of
medical marijuana.

Proponents of the proposition would have you believe that medical
marijuana is just for the seriously ill. Yet statistics show that in
all other states with medical marijuana, only 2-3 percent of the
cardholders suffer from cancer or other debilitating illnesses. The
remaining 97-98 percent are people ages 17 to 35 who report pain as
their reason for being a cardholder.

Citizens of Arizona should be very concerned. According to Prop. 203,
schools or employers cannot discriminate in hiring a medical marijuana
cardholder. Thus, passage of Prop. 203 would mean that school bus
drivers or airplane pilots could test positive for marijuana while
operating a school bus or airplane.

This proposition just does not make sense for Arizona. I urge you to
vote no on Prop 203.

Jody Fanning

Chief of Police

Cottonwood