The Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia has adopted a bold pro-marijuana platform that could have an effect on Arizona’s upcoming legalization vote. With heavy input from Bernie Sanders supporters, the draft platform document was publicized earlier this month and showed a heavy lean to the left wing of the party. Regarding…
Following calls from New Times and an ex-Cottonwood city councilman, MATFORCE, the Yavapai County-based group that opposes cannabis legalization, has corrected a misleading tweet that proclaimed, “Evidence of THC found in Colorado town’s water supply.” Despite a very brief public scare last week, THC, the main psychoactive component in marijuana, never…
State Rep. Sonny Borrelli defended himself on Monday regarding scathing details in a recently published 2001 police report, including the allegation that he punched his wife in the face. Borrelli (R-Lake Havasu City) was arrested in the incident and later convicted of misdemeanor disorderly conduct — facts he now calls…
The two main issues behind a cannabis-legalization law set to make the ballot this November are 1) individual freedom, and 2) an end to felony prohibition for possession of marijuana for personal use. But if voters approve it, the Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act would do more than just…
Think it’s hot out now? Summertime high temperatures in Phoenix will average 10 degrees hotter by the year 2100 — as hot as current-day Kuwait City — according to new projections by the nonprofit group Climate Central. Worse, average daily temperatures in the hottest months will probably be three to five…
Frank Antenori, a former Arizona state senator who’s in Cleveland this week as one of Arizona’s 58 Republican delegates, has been convicted of unlawfully entering a military base. The ex-Green Beret, who lives in Cochise, pleaded guilty in federal court last month to a charge of entering a military reservation…
Activists who oppose a measure to legalize marijuana in Arizona were excited to let the world know about a news article shared on social media that blasts the notion that passage would guarantee a tax windfall. The Twitter site for Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy, a well-funded group headed up…
Former Arizona Lottery Director Tony Bouie said on Tuesday that he feels vindicated following a letter from the state Attorney General’s Office clearing him of criminal charges related to his old job. Troubles related to Bouie’s one year in the post aren’t over yet, though. Last week, two women who…
Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk and talk-show host Seth Leibsohn don’t want Arizonans to be able to decide whether marijuana should remain a felony-level drug or become as legal as beer. But following a brief hearing regarding the lawsuit they filed seeking to nullify a measure widely expected to appear…
Governor Ducey imagines Arizona students lounging around, stoned out of their minds on marijuana-laced lollipops. A Scottsdale mom worries about pot stores on every corner. The Arizona Public Health Association sees benefits as well as risks. Arizona voters will find these opinions and more among the pro and con arguments…
Samuel Oliphant of Scottsdale was kicked out of his luxury apartment last week, days after a hazmat team found the place trashed, toxic, and just plain gross. Scottsdale Police Department photographs of the interior of Oliphant’s former crib, obtained by New Times through a public-records request, reveal a garbage-filled drug den reminiscent…
Anger and activism met with the blunt reality police force on the streets of Phoenix on Friday night in a dramatic, hours-long confrontation filled with tear gas, pepper spray, and pepperballs. New Times was, at times, at the heart of the action that stretched into early Saturday along Seventh Street…
Matters have gone from bad to worse for Jayme Valenzuela, mayor of the Town of Superior. Facing a recall election stemming from allegations of misusing public funds, Valenzuela has now been indicted on a charge of felony theft. After the announcement today by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, Valenzuela lost…
In the wake of several heat-related deaths on city mountain-park trails, Phoenix officials have installed two electric fans on an outdoor shade structure at Echo Canyon trailhead. Installation was completed on Wednesday at the Camelback Mountain trailhead, and the pair of 18-inch fans – one on each side of the…
From the tons sold in legal medical-marijuana dispensaries to the tons imported each year from Mexico, Arizona is a place that knows its cannabis. Here’s a roundup of last week’s biggest pot news stories that affect the Grand Canyon State… Arizona Legalization Campaign Submits Signatures to State Welcome to the…
From the tons sold in legal medical-marijuana dispensaries to the tons imported each year from Mexico, Arizona knows its cannabis. Here’s a roundup of last week’s biggest pot news stories that affect the Grand Canyon State… High Times Magazine Endorses AZ’s Legalization Measure The venerable High Times magazine published an…
The Arizona Board of Regents has approved an Arizona State University plan to lease land for a 20-story, senior-housing project on a high-profile site in downtown Tempe. “Mirabella” is the latest plan for another mini-skyscraper in the college town east of Phoenix, which has seen a construction boom in recent…
A state grand jury has indicted Arizona Democratic lawmaker Cecilia “Ceci” Velasquez for allegedly ripping off the federal food-stamp program. Unsealed on Wednesday but signed on May 23, the indictment charges Velasquez, 42, with one felony count each of fraudulent schemes and practices, unlawful use of food stamps, and theft…
Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego declared his support for an anticipated marijuana-legalization initiative on Monday, saying it would help minorities and the economy. The 36-year-old Iraq War veteran and Democrat who represents Arizona’s Seventh Congressional District has supported legalization for years. As a member of the state House of Representatives in…
From the tons sold in legal medical-marijuana dispensaries to the tons imported each year from Mexico, Arizona knows its cannabis. Here’s a roundup of last week’s biggest pot news stories that affect the Grand Canyon State… Armpits and Bicycle Tubes: “Creative” Marijuana Smugglers Caught by Border Authorities Smugglers bring low-quality…
Cady Gokey understands the concerns some people have about bottled-water plants in drought-stricken Phoenix. But she also knows what people want: a cool drink of bottled water. As president of Sedona Bottling Company, the 28-year-old oversees a small water factory in a nondescript West Phoenix industrial park. The 20-year-old company…
A group that wants to legalize marijuana in Arizona unveiled a Father’s Day-themed billboard on Thursday that urges regulation in order to keep cannabis out of kids’ hands. “Please, card my son,” reads the digital billboard on the southwest corner of Seventh and Lincoln streets. “Regulate the sale of marijuana…
