Cannajobs is a founding member of the Protect Arizona Patients Coalition, supporting a state lawsuit to help protect medical marijuana patients’ rights.
Cannajobs is proud to announce that they are founding members of Protect Arizona Patients, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting the state’s refusal to fully cooperate with the will of Arizona voters by licensing medical marijuana dispensaries. Cannajobs, a cannabis jobs service, has contributed financially to the nonprofit to help it file the first lawsuit against the state for alienating the rights of medical marijuana patients in Arizona.
Last November, Arizona voters passed the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA), legalizing medical marijuana in the state. But in May, Governor Jan Brewer put a logjam in the implementation of the medical marijuana dispensary rollout, claiming clarification was needed about whether state employees would be subject to federal prosecution, as marijuana is still prohibited under federal law. Governor Brewer and the Department of Health (AZDHS) put all dispensaries on hold while they filed a federal lawsuit [Case No. 2:11-cv-01072-SRB] with the United States District Court for the District of Arizona seeking clarification about the potential federal response.
In response to the move, Protect Arizona Patients, Inc. joined with a number of dispensaries, nonprofits, corporations, and individuals to file a state lawsuit in the Arizona Superior Court, County of Maricopa, against Will Humble, Director of AZDHS [Case No. CV2011-011288], requesting that the court order him to begin issuing dispensary licenses in accordance with AMMA. The state responded in late July that it could not take special action until the federal case was decided.
“This lawsuit will be crucial in restoring the rollout of an organized, lawful dispensary program in Arizona and in creating much-needed jobs in an economy desperate for workers,” says Cannajobs co-founder Bob Calkin.
The United States District Court for the District of Arizona issued its decision in the federal case on August 1. In a striking rebuff to the Plaintiff’s claims, the Court motioned to dismiss the case, saying it would not entertain constitutional questions until strictly necessary.
“Their complaint presents no actual controversy, instead asking this Court for an advisory opinion as to a hypothetical dispute in which Plaintiffs themselves pick no side but rather resort to a purported disagreement among various fictional Defendants,” stated the Court in Document 38. “Moreover, Plaintiffs lack standing to raise even that claim, because they have not alleged any actual injury to the interests of the State.”
Now Protect Arizona Patients, Inc. and other plaintiffs in the state case are waiting for their first court hearing. They are also working closely with the ACLU on the federal case, aiming to have both cases move forward on parallel paths.
“In light of the District Court’s ruling, Arizona must move forward with licensing dispensaries, in accordance with state law and the will of the voters,” says Ingrid Joiya, a representative of Protect Arizona Patients, Inc. “The state must stop using fabricated legal postulations to deny dispensaries the right to exist.”
In the meantime, Arizona patients are able to exchange medicine with other patients with little state guidance—an unintended consequence of not having dispensaries. Protect Arizona Patients, Inc. is opening Caregiver Collectives in locations that have been approved for dispensaries, where licensed caregivers provide medicine for qualified patients following the guidelines required of dispensaries by the state.
The first Caregiver Collective will open on Sunday, October 23rd and will feature a Patient/Career Fair co-sponsored by Cannajobs.com. Cannajobs is at the forefront of that fight for financial stability and independence for everyone, regardless of their health, wealth or political clout. Cannajobs believes everyone has a right to work and have access to safe medicine.
About Cannajobs
Cannajobs is a marijuana jobs resource that provides job seekers and business owners in the medical marijuana industry an online forum to communicate and find employment opportunities, as well as educate themselves about their industry. The company also helps teach people how to find jobs, qualify for jobs and start a lasting career in the medical marijuana field. The website provides a platform for free video conferencing and document sharing. Cannajobs is more than just a posting site; it’s an online community where potential cannabis employees and burgeoning cannabis businesses link up to become more successful than ever before.
For more information about Cannajobs, call (818) 646-2079 or visit them on the web at http://www.cannajobs.com.
About Protect Arizona Patients, Inc.
Protect Arizona Patients, Inc. is a ‘first responder’ non-profit organization designed for the sole purpose of creating an entity to provide an immediate and decisive response to any adverse actions taken against the Arizona MMJ industry. The organization fully supports the efforts of national organizations whose mission is to proactively advance the interests of the MMJ industry on an ongoing basis.
For more information about Protect Arizona Patients, Inc., visit them on the web at .
Source: www.prweb.com
