Business owners in downtown Phoenix have mixed reactions over the passing of Proposition 207, the legalization of recreational marijuana in Arizona.
This means that adults in Arizona that are 21 and older can legally buy marijuana for recreational purposes. Tax revenue from the initiative will also fund public state projects.
Some business owners are excited to see what legalized marijuana can bring to their business and the economy, while some are more skeptical of the proposition’s benefits.
Paola Picchi, general manager of Pomo Pizzeria on First Street and McKinley Street, is against the legalization of marijuana and focuses on a drug-free workplace for her employees.
“I am a mom first, and I’m not only a mom of my own child, but a mom for my employees,” Picchi said.
Picchi said she implements a drug-free workplace through strict restaurant policies of not being allowed to smoke at work or work under the influence. She also said she wouldn’t be surprised if the owners of the Pomo franchise might start drug testing for restaurants with the passing of Prop. 207.
“I don’t want it to come down to drug testing my employees, so I currently don’t drug test them,” she said. “You can’t work in public and smell like marijuana, you don’t know what the guests will think.”
Picchi’s son is 11 years old and she said she didn’t want him to grow up somewhere that people could smoke on the street or in public. However, Picchi said she supports responsible medical marijuana use when needed for health reasons.
To contrast, the owners of Fez on Central and Lacuna Kava Bar are eager to see how Prop. 207 will affect Arizona businesses.
Kirk Lubbs, owner of the restaurant Fez located at the northwest corner of Portland Street and Central Avenue, is in favor of Prop. 207. Lubbs said he supports Prop. 207 because of the millions of dollars of tax revenue that will go toward public projects like schools and roadwork.
Lubbs said that he keeps a drug-free workplace by having his employees sign a contract agreeing to not be at work under the influence or smoke at work, similar to Picchi’s strategy at Pomo Pizzeria.
“We definitely support Prop. 207 and I know some of my employees use it for medical reasons,” Lubbs said. “I’m disappointed that we’re not able to sell marijuana-infused products here, I think that’s something that may come much further down the road for other restaurants.”
He said that there’s currently one, small smoking section outside of the restaurant, but he might split the patio into two sections so the smoking section could be bigger if the demand comes around.
“It really depends on what the customers want,” Lubbs said. “If in the future, people are able to smoke marijuana outside and people are requesting that, I would consider it.”
Desiree Book, owner of Lacuna Kava Bar on Third Street and Garfield Street, said that this should have happened “a long time ago.”
“I don’t drug-test my employees; but I think drug testing employees, especially those who are back and forth between jobs, is necessary,” Book said. “However, I wouldn’t care about marijuana.”
Book said that she doesn’t drug test her staff because she trusts her employees.
“With marijuana being legal or illegal, they need to have a good work ethic, and if being under the influence affects that work ethic, an employee would need to be let go,” Book said.
Contact the reporter at wforeald@asu.edu
