Reed-Kaliher v. Hon. Wallace R. Hoggatt

While Petitioner was serving a prison term, the people passed the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA). Petitioner obtained a registry identification card identifying him as a registered qualifying patient under the AMMA so that he might obtain medical marijuana for his chronic pain from a fractured hip. During his probation, Petitioner's probation officer added as a condition of probation that Petitioner “not possess or use marijuana for any reason.” Petitioner asked the superior court to amend his probation conditions to delete the “no marijuana” term. The superior court denied relief. The court of appeals, however, granted relief. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) the immunity AMMA provides to qualified patients does not exclude probationers; (2) any probation term that threatens to revoke probation for medical marijuana use that complies with the terms of AMMA is unenforceable and illegal; (3) AMMA provides immunity for charges of violating Ariz. Rev. Stat. 13-3408(G), which might otherwise subject a person to revocation of probation for marijuana use; and (4) by removing the probation condition at issue in this case, the trial court would not be authorizing a violation of federal law but would be recognizing that the court’s authority to impose probation conditions is limited by statute. View "Reed-Kaliher v. Hon. Wallace R. Hoggatt" on Justia Law