The Arizona Supreme Court recently agreed to review an appeals court decision that decided drivers who have medical marijuana cards can be prosecuted for driving under the influence if they’re found to have marijuana in their system.

In two cases, defendants who had medical marijuana cards argued they should be able to use their medical marijuana cards as defense like other prescription drugs are used.  But, the District One appeals court disagreed.

PHOENIX — Marijuana — a potential 2016 ballot initiative regarding its proposed legalization — will be the focus of a June 4 roundtable discussion hosted by Morrison Institute for Public Policy.

Marijuana presently is legal in Arizona if prescribed by a doctor for medicinal purposes only. The roundtable panel will discuss the current status of legal medical marijuana in Arizona and explore questions surrounding potential future legalization of recreational marijuana.

PHOENIX -- Phoenix Veterans Affairs officials are blocking an Arizona-based medical marijuana researcher from giving a lecture to health care providers at the facility.

Dr. Sue Sisley has requested permission on multiple occasions to give a so-called Grand Rounds Lecture at the Phoenix VA.

During the lecture, Sisley said she would have an opportunity to explain the details of her study of the effects of marijuana on veterans with PTSD to the facility's medical staff.

"They have the golden opportunity to refer military veterans to a federally legal study," Sisley said of why she wants to deliver the lecture.

When asked why Sisley has not been allowed a Grand Rounds Lecture, Phoenix VA Director Glen Grippen said, "She has already done that."

California isn’t the only state where cannabis supporters are sabotaging one another’s legalization efforts.

Arizona now has two competing initiatives to legalize cannabis in 2016. The Washington DC-based Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is leading one effort while some newly minted medical cannabis dispensaries — which MPP helped legalize in 2010 — are running a competing initiative.

Go on Craigslist and search for marijuana, and you’ll likely come across quite a few posts advertising for “patient-to-patient” exchanges or delivery of the drug.

The ads will ask for other medical marijuana patients only and, often, they’ll ask for a “donation” fee.

The ABC15 Investigators looked at dozens of ads like this. One medical marijuana patient who said he’s been posting ads for a few months agreed to talk to us.

“The purpose of these ads is to get yourself out there,” he said, “to get known.” He said it’s so that he and other medical marijuana patients can try different types of medical marijuana and meet each other. He described it as a community of medical marijuana patients.

A striking feature of the rollout of the state-legalized retail sales of marijuana has been the tremendous popularity of edible marijuana products. Marijuana brownies have long been a staple of cannabis coffee shops in the Netherlands, but the new products are quite different. They are skillfully produced and packaged to closely mimic popular candies and other sweets. These products can now be purchased legally in four states; retail stores are operating in Colorado and Washington State, and voters recently approved retail sales in Alaska and Oregon.

PHOENIX — A second group launched its own effort Tuesday to legalize marijuana for recreational use in Arizona, potentially putting both campaigns in jeopardy.

The new group, known as the Campaign to Legalize and Regulate Marijuana, filed paperwork Tuesday to start gathering signatures for a proposal to let adults use the drug for recreational use. Backers need 150,642 valid signatures by July 7, 2016, to qualify for the general election ballot that year.

The move comes exactly a month after the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol began its own petition drive to put a similar, but not exactly duplicate, initiative on the 2016 ballot. It also needs the same number of signatures.

And that’s where the first problem arises.

In an attempt to prevent the legalization of marijuana in Arizona, a multi-agency drug war task force has donated tens of thousands of dollars collected from the civil asset forfeiture program to ensure a statewide cannabis industry never sees the light of day.

PHOENIX — Saying he has concerns about abuse, Attorney General Mark Brnovich withdrew his formal legal opinion that public officials can use their offices and resources to “educate” voters on an upcoming ballot measure.

In a prepared statement, press aide Kristen Keogh said there were “allegations” that his opinion, issued less than two weeks ago, “may have provided an opportunity for potential government abuse.” And she said he takes that issue “very seriously.”

Communications chief Ryan Anderson said the next step is to review the issue and issue a revision that is not only “more clear,” but also ensures the opinion, which can be cited in court cases, is not used in a way that does not protect taxpayer dollars.

GLENDALE, Arizona — Glendale police have arrested several people accused of conducting illegal marijuana sales at so-called farmers markets.

Approximately four weeks ago, the Glendale Police Department received complaints of suspicious activity related to the 7Ten Club at Camelback Road and 51st Avenue. Police said the club has been hosting “farmers markets” twice a week where vendors and customers transact marijuana.

Detectives conducted surveillance and undercover operations that included 18 illegal marijuana transactions during which they purchased marijuana from vendors.