Gila River Tribe concerned about medical marijuana dispensaries

Wednesday, March 2, 2011  

The Gila River Indian Community of Arizona is worried about the presence of medical marijuana dispensaries near the reservation border.

The tribe believes the dispensaries could lead to safety hazards, traffic issues and crime. So the tribe is asking Pinal County and other municipalities not to allow dispensaries within one mile of reservation borders.

"The community just doesn't want to open that door to the reservation," spokesperson Alia Maisonet told The Arizona Republic. "We're working diligently to try and correct the substance-abuse issues that we currently have and we feel that it wouldn't help."

Pinal County supervisors, however, denied the request. The county will allow dispensaries in any general business, amusement or recreational enterprise zone.

Last November, voters approved Proposition 203, the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act. The state is in the process of implementing the Medical Marijuana Program.

Get the Story:
Arizona tribe's marijuana-law request dismissed (The Arizona Republic 3/2)

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Montana tribe announces policy on state medical marijuana (5/13)