Discount Tire Boycott Movement Grows as Owner Donates $1M to Keep Marijuana a Felony

Discount Tire Boycott Movement Grows as Owner Donates $1M to Keep Marijuana a Felony
MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2016 AT 1:22 P.M.

Phoenix-based Discount Tire Company and its billionaire owner, Bruce Halle, face a growing boycott movement after making a $1 million donation to help defeat Proposition 205, the ballot initiative to legalize recreational use of marijuana in Arizona.

In August, local immigrant-rights groups organized a boycott after Discount Tire stores posted "Re-Elect Sheriff Joe Arpaio" signs in their windows. An infamous foe of the Latino community, Arpaio is almost certain to face criminal charges of contempt for violating a federal judge's orders in connection with the landmark discrimination case Melendres v. Arpaio.

Now, if recent polls prove accurate, Discount Tire has taken a stand against roughly half the state's registered voters.

Under Prop 205, it would be legal for adults of drinking age to possess up to an ounce of marijuana, which could be purchased at a state-run system of retail shops or grown in limited quantities for personal use. Possession of more than an ounce up to 2.5 ounces would be a non-arrestable civil offense subject to a $300 fine.

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/discount-tire-boycott-movement-grows-as-owner-donates-1m-to-keep-marijuana-a-felony-8746517