Pot ballot drives put medical, recreational users at odds

By Patrick Whittle for the Associated Press via WRAL.com

Americans for Safe Access, an organization that advocates for legal access to medical cannabis, said recreational marijuana programs should be kept separate from medical marijuana. The group sees potential "competing interests" between the two if they are comingled, said Beth Collins, a leader of the organization. The group also sees potential harm from the possibility corporatization of marijuana, Collins said. "On the negative side, big business may try to impose regulations to keep other players out, which could lead to fewer products," she said. "The best medical cannabis programs allow for both large and small businesses along with access via patient or caregiver cultivation."