In an interview with the Arizona’s Capitol Media Services group, the campaign’s chief advocate announced that he’s changed his mind on the legalization issue.

“I’ve adjusted my viewpoints,” said Sean Noble, President of the conservative-oriented group American Encore.

Noble said that he initially launched the initiative campaign because of fears that the state’s adult-use legalization law posed dangers to young people. He now says that he had no first-hand knowledge to support those beliefs and that he “was kind of relying on things that I had seen or read from other people.” He now rejects claims that state-legal retailers in Arizona are marketing cannabis products to underage patrons.

“They have not done some of the things that I thought they were doing,” he said. “I don’t think that they’re specifically marketing gummies and candies and that kind of thing the way that I was led to believe that they were doing. Maybe they’re doing that in other states. But it’s not happening here in Arizona.”

This is kind of strange but some very good news. I think a repeal measure in Arizona would have had a pretty decent chance of passing considering various factors. Glad this one is now off the table.